There is a very large hairy spider named the tarantula whose venom is fatal to sparrows and moles but harmless to humans. The spider is named after the southern Italian seaport of Taranto. Named after that same city is a malaise called Tarantism.

From the 11th century Tarantism has passed in waves around the Mediterranean. Individuals, and sometimes whole villages, would fall victim to lethargy, melancholy, depression and bodily pain brought on, so it was believed by the tarantula's bite. Most remarkable of all was the prescribed cure: vibrant music and dance till exhausted. This cure has morphed into a distinctive style of Italian music and dance called the tarantella.

So simple a cure is dance and music that it has all too often been overlooked.

If the above song fails to lift you up, try a few of the things below.
It is a list of things that came up when a survey commissioned in 2015 by the UK health insurer Bupa asked 2,000 people what made them feel good. Guess what came up as number two!

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✔ Sleeping in a freshly made bed
✔ Feeling the sun on your face
✔ Having time to yourself
✔ Laughing so hard it hurts
✔ Snuggling on the sofa

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✔ Freshly made bread
✔ Doing something for others
✔ Feeling clean after a shower
✔ Listening to rainfall or thunderstorm while inside
✔ Having a long hot bath
✔ Freshly cut grass
✔ Chocolate melting in your mouth
✔ Being active outdoors
✔ Bacon cooking in the morning
✔ Playing with a pet

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✔ Popping bubble wrap
✔ Swimming in the sea

☺If none of above has lifted your mood, then the old prescribed cure of dancing till exhaustion should be reconsidered.