In today's stressful world, it can be increasingly difficult to get as much enjoyment out of life as we would like or feel that we deserve. A good working definition of normality might be flexibility, according to a new book by father and son psychologist team Arnold and Clifford Lazarus, "The 60-second Shrink". They give succinct and easily comprehensible explanations of how negative patterns can be broken so that we can lead a more balanced and fulfilling We. According to the Lazaruses, five steps to follow are these... Firstly, we are surrounded by mindset problems, fears which encourage us to procrastinate, which in the book are called Task Interfering Thoughts', or TITs for short. Because procrastination puts you at the mercy of more proactive people who decide for you, you need to replace your TITs with TATs, or "Task Activating Thoughts", in order to be more productive and reduce stress. Next, it is important to listen to your inner voice and speak kindly to yourself. Thirdly, be realistic, expecting neither the worst, which is depressing, nor the best, which is too idealistic, and plan accordingly. Then there is the matter of anger and resentment. We know that life isn't perfect and that things should be otherwise, but they aren't, so shrug off those 'shoulds'. Finally, don't bottle up your feelings. Express the negative and emphasise the positive, and you are on your way to a happier, more balanced life.