Is there really an easy way to ‘manage’ the vast network of interlinking images, memories and associated feelings sparking through my head all the time? Is it truly possible to keep focused on positive up-beat thoughts?

Bet the Dalai Lama has off-days.

One solution is an NLP exercise called ‘The Stalker’, described by Robert Dilts. It involves imagining that you’re observing yourself being yourself.

Imagine you are tracking yourself just as a stalker stalks his prey. Observe your thoughts, feelings, reactions and breathing rate….I’ve found it’s excellent device when I am in tricky meetings and want to keep a lid on wayward emotions. Takes concentration though – and, after a while, I just get bored of being vigilant about me.

So, my current strategy is to ‘enjoy the ride’.

When I come across a thought that’s fun, I ‘ride’ it for all it’s worth. Given that a thought is merely an electrochemical reaction my head, I let most move on through my mind, without spending time on them. In other words, I’m learning to choose what thoughts to focus on, just as I might pick the most enjoyable rides to go on at a funfair.

Let’s get over it, please! Trance is an efficient way to discover what’s going on inside your mind and changing it.  Lots of the NLP tools designed ‘to build resourceful states of excellence’ only work properly once we add hypnosis into the mix. Some of them even get you into a trance just by doing them.

The ‘visual squash’, the ‘swish’, the ‘fast phobia cure’ etc. etc. all demand that you make pictures in your mind’s eye. And that’s the first step to a hypnotic state, right there.

How do you do that?  Perhaps you could start by smiling broadly, or think fondly of some good times you’ve had. You could imagine some pleasurable event you already have planned. Once you are filled with a sense of well-being and happiness, do this experiment – think about a memory that isn’t so pleasant. Find a recent incident that irritated you, for example.

Could you find an irritating memory? If you did, notice what happened to your mood. Did it stay the same? If so, just how irritating was that memory?

It’s difficult to hold two opposing moods in your head at the same time. Something has to change – your mood or your memory. That’s how our brains store information.

A miserable mood will connect with your miserable memories; an energetic mood will connect with lots of energetic thoughts. So, if you feel lethargic but want to feel energetic, start remembering all those times when you felt full of beans. As you do, your spirit will lift, your mood will improve and you’ll be raring to go.

Check this out for yourself. It’s a top tip.

Consider the words you use when you talk about your situation. Your phrases hold clues to the direction you want to go. List them and see what point you’re making. Now talk about what you could be doing and what you’d like to do. Your language gives you clues for you to follow.

Use your words as pointers.  From them, build your internal compass and you can gain a confident sense of personal direction.

Every morning, a small group of elderly Japanese ladies meet to cheer each other up. How they do it is so simple, it’s hard to believe. Together they say ‘I am happy, I am happy’ over and over. Then they say ‘ I am laughing, I am laughing, I am laughing’ till they start to laugh, often a bit forced at first.

And then the laughing starts to build and build, till their tummies start to wobble, their heads roll back and the tears drip down their happy cheeks. They say the good feelings last all day.

If you are feeling a bit low, look at the sky. It’s hard to feel miserable when your eyes are looking up. Try it.

There’s a scientific reason for this – to do with how we process our thoughts. So, when you decide to get out of the house and take a walk, don’t keep looking at your shoes as you wander along. If you do, you might get home and feel as miserable as when you set out. Get your ‘Chin up’ and you’ll cheer up. It’s almost impossible not to – just see.