Anna Hamer

We’re almost two weeks into the New Year. How are you getting on with your resolutions?

Many of us choose this time of year to “make a fresh start” and get rid of bad habits – but after an early flurry of enthusiasm, it’s easy to let your motivation slide and fall into a pattern of procrastinating – one of the toughest behaviours to overcome. Learning what drives your urge to put things off is a good way to begin tackling the problem.

The “all or nothing” mindset

Sometimes we procrastinate due to perfectionism: if it's not perfect, there’s no point in doing it. We hesitate because we can't come up with that perfect first line of a paper, business proposal, or thank you card.

The insurmountable to-do list

Another reason we procrastinate is because the task at hand seems like a mountain...

A few days ago I went into Waterstones looking for a novel and instead came out with a glossy, cheery book entitled "I Quit Sugar for Life". Contrary to what you might be thinking, it was actually a treat to flip through pages of tantalising recipes. However, the author Sarah Wilson hasn't just given the reader pretty pictures, she is also spot on with her science.

Sugar is addictive and its deleterious effects target more than just your waistline. In fact, avoiding the office biscuits or that slice of afternoon cake isn't just a matter of willpower. Sugar meets the four criteria necessary to qualify as a drug: bingeing, withdrawal, craving and sensitisation.

Because diet is so strongly linked to mental wellbeing, I almost always ask clients about what they eat, as well as how often they...