One of the things I love most about the topic of wellbeing is that there is always something new to learn.

People around the world have new and innovative ideas about how to keep ourselves well all the time, so I try to find at least a little time every week to read up about any new ideas I come across.

This week I received a book called ‘Take a Moment’ developed in partnership with MIND, the mental health charity. It contains simple tips for refocusing and relaxing in the middle of our ever more hectic lives.

One of the suggestions which jumped out at me this week was that of the ‘Happiness Box’. It is along the same lines as a technique I have often used with clients who are struggling, which I have called the ‘Safe Book’.

These might sound odd or even trivial terms when talking about mental health, but actually there are some serious points here. When a person is feeling very low or depressed, it can be almost impossible at that point to think of anything that would in fact make them feel better. I often compare it to the difference between being in a sauna and being in the snow.

When you are boiling hot in a sauna you know rationally that it is possible to feel the cold, but it is very hard to imagine. Similarly, when you are freezing cold outside, you know it is possible to feel warm or hot but at that moment in time you can’t begin to imagine what it feels like.

In just the same way, when you are feeling very down about life, it can feel very difficult to imagine ever feeling happy again. This is even though rationally you know that happy and positive thoughts are possible and that you have felt them before. For this reason, it can be really helpful to prepare for these moments by getting together a happiness box or a safe book, which in essence is the same thing, only contained in words within a book.

A happiness box is simply a physical box – any size will do – but you will probably need something about the size of a shoe box at least. Put in it anything that goes towards boosting your mood and lifting your spirits. This can include some of your favourite music, a book, some photographs, a dvd of your favourite film, mementos of happy times in the past or symbols of your dreams for the future. It could also include a list of your strengths and talents as well as your achievements from the past. You could even put in a bar of chocolate or some toiletries to pamper yourself with.

If you decide to use the book method, I always advise clients that it can contain anything at all that feels positive but nothing that will cause upset, which is why it is called the ‘safe book’. My own book had lists of people who are important to me, my favourite places to visit, pictures of nature, and long lists of music that I enjoyed listening to. I also stuck in cards and messages I had received from friends along the years. It is worth carefully choosing the right book to do this in so that it feels like something which is a genuine reflection of who you are at your best and is a pleasure to look at.

Whilst these ideas might come across as superficial, it is surprising how much comfort they can bring on a day when it feels as though there is no hope in sight. It is completely normal for our moods to fluctuate.

Some days we will quite naturally feel brighter than we do on others. But for the moments when life feels like a real struggle and you are finding it hard to think of ways to look after yourself, having a box or book ready for such occasions can feel like a real blessing. It is also an enjoyable thing to put together and one which can be added to over time. Always remember, that just as there might be days when life feels hard, there will also follow days where you are happy to be alive. Putting together a happiness box could be just one small way to remind you of that when you need it the most.