If you frequently wake up wanting to slap somebody in the face for no apparent reason or find yourself eating your way through three packets of Doritos (giant size), then you know things are BAD. You may feel frumpy, unmotivated or just generally stressed out. Life can do that to you. In fact, sometimes life can feel categorically crap. You may find yourself wondering, where the hell is my mojo and how can I flipping get it back?

Any kind of setback or crisis can leave a person feeling depleted. A breakup, bereavement, job loss or financial struggle can all take their toll. Sometimes it might be something far less obvious like a general lack of direction or midlife crisis (so cliché –yawn). Every person will experience some kind of knockback in their lives and sometimes it can shatter, if not decimate one’s self confidence and sense of being.

The worse thing about losing your mojo is that you suddenly become acutely aware of how wonderful and successful everybody else is. I mean, how is it that your mate has got ANOTHER promotion at work? And how is it that your other friend is going on her fifth exotic beach holiday of the year? Really? Granted, this may sound a tad bitter, but actually it’s not that you begrudge your friends or want them to do badly in their lives; it’s simply a reflection of how you perceive yourself and a reminder that you need to restore your confidence and zest for life.

For me, getting active is an excellent way of reclaiming one’s mojo. There’s nothing quite like a bit of shimmying and shaking at Zumba to lift one’s spirits. I may not be Beyonce, but for one hour I can relive my clubbing days, albeit on a Monday morning after school drop off.

As well as keeping fit, taking up a new hobby can also ignite a bit of enthusiasm in one’s life. Photography, a musical instrument, sport or something more sedentary like painting or reading perhaps? (I draw the line at gardening though as its screams of middle age and THAT is too confronting for me).

It’s also important to lighten the load if you are feeling stressed. Whilst it’s great to be busy and active, it’s also necessary to give yourself time and space to be still and calm. Go away for a spa weekend and rest. On the rare occasion that I’ve done it, I have felt like a flipping celebrity. The sheer indulgence and civility of it all is beyond exciting!

And make lists. Set yourself some small goals, tick them off and then feel a sense of achievement. You don’t have to run a multinational organisation to feel productive.

Finally, one’s mojo is ultimately a state of mind.  We have to accept that we can’t change what has already happened in our lives. But what we can do is focus on all the things that we do have and be grateful for them. Gratitude is such an uplifting and healing emotion.

So if your mojo has gone walkabouts, and life feels decidedly dreary, do not fret. Even after a prolonged period of missing mojo, it’s perfectly possible to find it again and reclaim it. Seek help, speak to friends, try new things and persevere. Once you find it you will feel alive again.