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Christmas is supposed to be a time of great joy, happiness and celebration. Let’s face it, in reality, many of us are running around like headless chickens, spending far more than we should on gifts that people probably don’t need or want. People place such high expectations on this time of year and many feel under pressure to provide a sumptuous meal for that one day, and then it’s leftover turkey and bubble and squeak for the following week - and thereafter. For some, this time of year compounds deep grief and sadness, it’s not all shiny baubles and glistening tinsel.

Some people might feel an added pressure this year due to the fact Christmas will look slightly different. Maybe they want to pull out the stops to make it extra special to make up for the strange year we’ve had; maybe many would like to, but the rollercoaster of the past 12 months means finances don’t permit...

Apart from a few propensities we’re born with, a lot of what we’re like as children is down to the influences around us – our parents, family, teachers and friends, as well as the images we see in the media which we either try to relate or aspire to. You often hear parents say: “He’s so forgetful,” or “She’s such a serious little thing, always so responsible,” it’s as if children are being pre-conditioned before they’ve even had a chance to make their own mind up.

With these descriptions permeating the child’s subconscious mind, they’re being defined as a ‘type’ of person, so it’s no wonder they gravitate towards behaviour which reinforces this image of them – it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You hear people saying: “I’m hopeless at planning anything,” or “People say I don’t know how to have fun, I do, it’s just that I always seem to be the...