The third week of January is considered to be the most depressing week of the year – it even starts with what we’ve come to know as ‘Blue Monday’. Our fun and relaxing festive break is a distant memory and we’re all back into the swing of normality, the daily commute, and our summer holidays seem a far-away dream. Add to that the dark evenings and – finally – the cold weather and it’s no wonder we all start feeling a little ‘blue’. I know I have.

Recently I watched a great TED talk by psychologist Guy Winch. He made a point so clearly that it struck me to be exactly how we should be explaining why positive psychology is so important.

Last night I went to see the latest release from Disney Pixar: Inside Out. The story starts with the question "ever wondered what's going on inside someone's head?" and then it goes on to explain, in the most fantastical way, how our emotions can control who we are and how we behave.

Matthieu Ricard - a Buddhist monk who went from a scientific career as a molecular biologist in France (working under French Nobel Laureate François Jacob) to the study of Buddhism in the Himalayas 40 years ago and the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama since 1989 – did a fascinating talk for Action for Happiness a couple of weeks ago. He also appeared on Chris Evans’ BBC radio 2 breakfast show, so you may have heard that.