We’ve all be there, we wake up on New Year’s Day with varying degrees of hangover from too much food or drink the night before and suddenly realisation hits that this is the start of another brand new year. So we make some hasty and half-hearted New Year’s resolutions (or revolutions as my late German-born Mum used to call them!) and then slump back onto the sofa in front of the TV. The problem is, these resolutions are often linked to something that is important to us, and these decisions to make changes shouldn’t be made in haste, or half-heartedly.

Platonic, non-sexual, human touch is so important to us humans. A hug from a friend, a handshake, or a pat on the back, is how we express emotion without language. We thrive on human touch, yet in a world increasingly dominated by technology it’s becoming rare.

Why is it that some of us bounce back even stronger after a crisis or misfortune, while others fall apart and give up? How you deal with the setbacks in life speaks volumes about your character and whether or not you’re resilient – which basically means how you’re able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.

Hate crime surged in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the wake of the EU referendum vote – and still remains at significantly higher levels than it was a year ago. The figures released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council on 31^st August show a 49% rise in reported incidents when compared with the previous year.