You're on your own in a new flat; the slightly odd landlady has just assured you that what she thought might have been a 'friendly ghost' hasn't been seen in ages.

I think he only wanted a bit of company. He used to appear at the top of the stairs. We haven't seen him in years! Oh don't worry yourselves about him. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your stay in the flat.

Gee thanks. Thank you very much indeed for planting that little mind worm.

Your new flat-mates don't move in till the weekend. You're first in and you're on your own, boxes everywhere. It's getting late. What's that noise? It's probably the plumbing. It sounded a bit weird though. Get a grip. Switch the radio on. La la la la. There it is again! Oh God. Deep breaths. Don't be stupid. There's no such thing as ghosts. But what the hell's that banging noise...?

It's funny how so much drama in our lives is only played out in the mind, not in real life at all. The heart races, the palms sweat, the stomach churns. But it really was only the pipes. A bit of dodgy plumbing, that's all. A bit of dodgy letting-your-mind-run-away-with-the-fairies as well. But just how do you 'get a grip'? How do you make that monkey mind your servant and not your wicked master? For many, it's the holy grail. Dear h2g2ers, please give us a collective chill pill; furnish us with advice on how we can control our thoughts so we don't worry so much and learn to see things as they are:

• Are you prone to gloomy thoughts or unnecessary worry? Do you let your mind run away with you? Do you have any counter-thoughts to get you back on track?

• If you're naturally not a worrier, a happy-go-lucky sort of person, could you perhaps give the rest of us, the unhappy-go-unlucky sort, a few pointers? Do you have any techniques to keep you in a positive frame of mind?

• Sportsmen practise a lot of visualisation. They picture the ball going into the hole, smashing the back of the net, winning the tournament, before they've even changed into their kit. So can we think ourselves in to a better, 'winning' position, no matter what field we work or operate in?

• In your experience, does exercise keep the monkey mind at bay?

• Do you think if you start worrying about worrying too much you might end up worrying even more. A bit like digging a large hole for yourself. Is it better not to analyse things at all and just do more things?

• Is the person that you think you are - the version of you that you hold in your head - the person that everyone else thinks you are? Are they one and the same?

• Is it really all in the mind?