It’s funny what people think about those of us who wear clerical collars; people have expressed surprise that I use money, that I swear (only those who’ve never met me before!) and that I get fed up and argue with my husband and children, among many other things. And they don’t expect me to be down, gloomy or miserable.

And while I find a deep sense of joy in my Christian faith, it doesn’t mean that every day is full of hilarity! I have dismal days just like everybody else.

I don’t mean serious depression, which is a different thing altogether – just one of those days that gets off to a bad start and goes downhill from there.

My hair won’t go right; someone phones while I’m in the shower and after three increasingly desperate changes of clothes, I still look fat and ugly. Then I’m late. And that’s the way it goes all day. But what to do?

Some Christians are encouraged to ask themselves “What would Jesus do?” in a situation and the Bible says that there were times that Jesus would take off on his own – the first century version of a duvet day, and sometimes that’s a solution for our melancholy too.

A little treat, a lot of chocolate and some time out, no phones or iPad, proper rest and recuperation, that’s a good way to love ourselves. And we have to learn to do that. Jesus said: “Love God and love others as you love yourself.”

We might phone a friend, either to get them to cheer us up or better still, to do something nice with or for them; another idea is to look at photos of happier times and cultivate the attitude of gratitude – there have been good days.

Or we can imagine ourselves in Gone with the Wind in a big swirly dress and say, “Tomorrow is another day” and all shall be well. More from Ann Easter