Do you feel as if life is pushing you into a corner? Are you caught in a downward spiral over which you have no control, or do you simply want an exercise regime to sharpen up your emotional intelligence and improve your resilience and mental fitness to cope with whatever comes your way?The bite-sized sections in this concise, no-nonsense handbook, together with the associated exercises, give you the tools to re-write the rules for your life. Each short section allows you to gain control over your thoughts and feelings by revealing the dynamics behind them. Raising awareness is the first step and puts you in the driving seat, allowing you to replace bad habits and negative thought patterns with more positive ones.Banish the blues by practising these essential exercises as part of a regular routine and build a beautiful mind in the same way that an athlete develops a beautiful body. Once you are on the path to mental fitness the world can look very different. There is nothing complicated in these ideas and you are not asked to believe or think anything which doesn't feel right for you. In fact, there is a chance to modify and shape the exercises to suit your own individual needs.It's not rocket science, but basic common sense, a willingness to look at the world in new ways and an opportunity for change. All you need is the desire to succeed and the commitment to put into practice what you learn. About five minutes a day can be enough to shift your thinking in the right direction.Caroline has been a mediator and counsellor for many years. More recently she has become a listener for the Samaritans. This book was inspired by the challenges and difficulties facing so many of us today. There is an urgent need for people to invest more time in understanding themselves and getting some control over their thoughts and feelings. The potential benefits which this brings are huge and an exciting journey awaits anyone who is willing to take the first step