BE PREPARED
Got a report to prepare for Monday? Don’t wait until Sunday night to do it then lose sleep because it’s rushed. Do it first thing on a Saturday morning. Take your laptop to a tranquil coffee spot and prepare your document, says professional organiser Maryann Gillet. “If you don’t have a laptop, plan to treat yourself with something special once it’s finished. You could set up a coffee date, breakfast or shopping spree for afterwards, knowing that the chore is behind you and you have the rest of the weekend to have fun!”
TUNE INTO THE CLASSICS
Listening to Mozart, for example can reduce pain and stress, speed up healing and boost your mood, says a Harvard University study. Cape Town jazz musician Gavin Minter, whose album I’ll Be Seeing You is the perfect antidote to feeling blue, suggests these tunes to bring a glow to the glum: Van Morrison’s Moondance, Astrud Gilberto’s The Silver Collection, or Carole King’s Tapestry.
CHANGE YOUR HABITS
Why should Sunday night be different to any otherf If you’ll happily socialise on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, then do it on a Sunday too. Invite friends over for a board game like Scrabble or 30 Seconds, or go to a movie (but be sure it’s a comedy). Stress hormones are reduced by 70 percent when you laugh, says a study from Loma Linda University in California (US). Or if you’re really panic-stricken about getting organised for Monday, finish the day off with a long walk on the beach or through a park to still your mind before tackling those pre-Monday chores.
PLAN PARTY-TIME
So the week looks bleak. Reports, meetings, deadlines, staff issues… Don’t let responsibility weigh you down. Whip out your diary and pencil in some week-day fun, such as drinks with the girls, early-morning runs with your husband, or pottery class on Thursday. Psychotherapist Phillip Hodson suggests identifying what makes you happy and making sure you do it. He says you can’t predict exactly what’s going to happen in the future, “but arranging to do things that bring you pleasure helps you feel that at least you are steering it in the right direction”.
GET ENOUGH SLEEP
A good night’s sleep allows your mind and body to rest so you can re-energise and rejuvenate. “Sleep has a major impact on brain development, as it affects cognitive skills such as thinking, speech and memory. Without regular healthy sleep, these skills become impaired,” says therapist Glenn Harrold, author of Sleep Well Every Night (Orion). Have a warm, lavender-oil bath an hour before bedtime to help you slumber peacefully.
TRY A YOGA MOVE
Yoga focuses on deep-breathing techniques, which slow down your heart rate and increase blood flow. It also strengthens all of your muscles, so you won’t just feel great, you’ll look great too. FORWARD BEND: Stand up, reach your arms high over your head and inhale. Exhale, bend forward, and reach down. Stay for three breaths; return to standing by slowly uncurling one vertebra at a time. Repeat five times.
GO COLD TURKEY
Alcohol can act as a depressant on the central nervous system. Moderate- to high-alcohol intake can result in low blood sugar in certain individuals (especially diabetics), due to the alcohol suppressing glucose being released from the liver. Low blood sugar = moodiness and general irritability.
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