Which came first: how you feel or the mood you're in? Does how you feel affect your mood or does your mood affect how you feel? Either way, there's no doubt that your mood can affect you, and your ability to concentrate.

Moods are an internal measure of how we are. In psychological terms, a mood is an emotional state but, in contrast to emotions and feelings, moods are less specific, less intense and less situational. Happy, sad, confident, bewildered, tetchy, calm - we don't express our moods directly but in the way we think, communicate, behave and see the world.

Concentration takes a certain amount of energy and, when we're feeling upbeat and positive, that energy is more readily available. Although concentration may look relaxed on the outside, it is easier if you are feeling positive purely because you have more energy.

What is negative thinking?

Aligned to mood, it's all too easy to get into patterns of negative thinking, which can create an internal distraction when our thoughts get stuck on repeat.

Negative thinking is very distracting; you're so busy telling yourself you cannot possibly do this job, finish reading that report, prepare a good presentation that you use up all your energy - even before you've started.

Challenging negative thinking takes practice. It helps to be aware of how it can present itself, so you can address it. Look out for these pitfalls and challenge them:

• All-or-nothing thinking: Either you're a success or a failure. This thinking can lead to crippling perfectionism.
• Emotional reasoning: Believing that you are your mood, i.e. you feel stupid so you must be stupid. This can lead to ...
• Labelling: You are stupid! Again, not true. Challenge this voice in your head.
• Overgeneralisation: If something negative happens, then it must always be going to happen.
• 'Shoulds' and 'musts': Telling yourself you should have done this, or you must have done that.
• Personalisation: Assuming responsibility, particularly for things outside your control.
• Negative filter: Dwelling on the downside and seeing the world in a negative way.