If you are generally happy and active in the summer but lack energy and feel down during autumn and winter it is likely you are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Also known as SAD, it can affect around 5 per cent of the population and a further 15 plus per cent can suffer what is called 'the blues' (a less severe form).

Spring tends to be a time in the year when lots of us decide to live our lives differently. Maybe we want to lose weight or become fitter or maybe even to be a nicer person. Whatever our goal not all of us will succeed. This may happen because we tend to look at the changes as all or nothing. But it needn’t be the case.

We jump into the change we want enthusiastically and then get despondent when we don’t see a huge difference almost immediately. But stop and think. Whatever we are trying to change has probably been a habit of ours for years. Maybe we have even tried already in previous new years and not succeeded. If we have been doing something for years don’t expect an overnight change. And maybe you won’t succeed the first time. But if you persist you will.