A positive mindset sounds great in theory – just see the bright side! There’s so much to love about life! I can hear you groan – but when we find ourselves in a really alarming social and economic time, it can, understandably, be increasingly hard to recognise the small joys.

But what if this in itself was making the negatives much worse? After two tough years, bright-sky thinking is a big ask, I know, but failing to acknowledge the small wins in life also exacerbates the bad, leading us to feel trapped in a constant state of worry and anxiety. That said, it could also be the perfect time to change the ways in which you seek out joyful moments in your life.

During the pandemic we were forced to slow down, leading many to learn how to appreciate something the internet has come to call the “soft life”. Coined on TikTok (the hashtag today has 405 million views), Urban Dictionary defines the concept as: “The act of simply living a life with less stress, worry and concern. Making better decisions that benefit your overall wellbeing.” Similarly, it was in the midst of the pandemic that the idea of “romanticising” your life also took off on the app, with creators making videos of the ways they found small moments of happiness throughout their once jam-packed days.