If you're someone who meditates but you know you have a tricky week ahead – a packed schedule, travelling for work and/or staying in a hotel with noisy neighbours – pre-plan for failure. Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin recmmends that you anticipate as many challenges as you can and specifically think about what you'll do and say to overcome them. (For instance, a walking meditation in a nearby park, rather than trying to zone out the person in the neighbouring hotel room who's got breakfast TV on too loud...)

During these cold months, chest rub can come into its own, but here’s an alternative use: use it to soothe aching feet. Try applying a thick coat of chest rub and covering feet with a pair of socks before going to bed at night. When you wake up, sore tired feet will be both moisturised and rejuvenated.

The kindest thing you can do during an at-home manicure or pedicure is to apply cuticle cream to nails or feet first, then soak them in water for five minutes before pushing back cuticles with a rubber hoof stick. This creates the perfect ‘frame’ for your brushwork.

Freshen up combs and hairbrushes by soaking them in a solution of 600 ml warm water and two teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda. Swirl them around in the water to loosen up all the debris caught between the teeth, then let them soak for about half an hour. Rinse well and dry flat on a towel before using.

We love this quote from our old friend Eve Lom: ‘True beauty comes from feeding your mind, as well as your skin.’