Life coach and beauty writer Liz Wilde suggests how you might cope with the February blues in an extract from her new book, Blissful Beauty.

Do you spend your days coping with what life throws at you and congratulating yourself every evening that once again you've almost succeeded in keeping your friends, family and employers happy? That's worth celebrating, except for the fact that somewhere in this delicate balance is your need to be happy too. Happiness is not an accident. Your energy, enthusiasm and self-esteem are constantly under threat and if you don't practise simple techniques every day to renew them, these parts of you will get lost in the busyness of life.

Do something to make you feel good every day and it becomes a habit you're likely to continue for a very long time. Not only will feel-good habits lift you out of a bad mood, they'll also significantly improve your quality of life, not to mention your health and well-being. And as every woman knows, taking joy in life is nature's very best cosmetic.

… stand tall & stretch

Do this stretch when you need an energy boost to get you through the afternoon.

Bring your feet together with toes touching and stand as tall as possible, with your shoulders in line with your hips, knees and ankles. Inhale deeply and imagine you're lifting the top of your head away from your body as if someone's pulling you up by an invisible cord in the middle of your head. Exhale and repeat five times.

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