I hope that wishing everyone a ‘Happy 2017’ as I did last week was a mere slip of the tongue rather than a Freudian slip I’m going to have to work out in therapy. I have other things I’d much prefer to work on. While I know therapy helps me un-pack my ongoing psychological tasks, I’m going to give ‘gratitude’ a serious go this year. I’ve read enough about the intentional practice of embracing thanks for things to be persuaded that it could keep me in good mental health. If you need a primer, here’s where I’d start, along with a notebook to record your gratitudes.

So far so good. Yesterday: in a power cut, with a phone line down from Storm Frank and out of mobile signal and monsoon rain outside. It was so easy to be cross and anxious, but I managed to catch the negative spiral and be thankful not to be under water, to have people on the case fixing things, to be alive and well…..the list is sort of endless really. It was fascinating to me how easy it was to steer my mind to calmer waters – the task for now though is remembering to do it. Doing it is the easier bit it seems.