It is not always easy to forget work and truly enjoy the weekend, but it's important to set aside time for proper rest and relaxation. Sarah Brewer has some great tips to help you really unwind.
Wind down
To signal the end of your working week and the start of 'me-time', create your own prompts. Tidy your work space before leaving for home, write a 'to do' list for Monday, and think about the things you have achieved that week. This helps you feel that the day is over.
Walk part of the way home or even go to the gym or swimming pool in order to burn off any residual stress. If you're commuting home on a bus or train, wind down with a novel, newspaper or magazine.
If you're driving, listen to a classical music station or a book on tape. This will make sure that you arrive home already feeling you have well and truly left your work behind.
If you work from home, try to use a room from which you can exit, close the door and not return till after the weekend. Try to avoid using the bedroom as a home office as this will make it more difficult to associate the bedroom with relaxation, and may interfere with sleep. If using the bedroom for another purpose is unavoidable, try to partition off the work area so that you can literally screen it out of your weekend.
Turn off your mobile and, if there's a chance you may be contacted about work problems, why not take the phone off the hook, too?
Create a restful atmosphere
Daylight has a refreshing yet soothing effect, so wherever possible let sunshine into your home - fine muslin curtains give an even softer, more relaxing feel.
Table lights and up-lighters, especially with a dimmer, create a softer mood than a single, overhead beam. If natural light is in short supply, try bulbs that simulate daylight.
Plants in the home help to reduce anxiety and stress.
You can also use aromatherapy essential oils, candles and CDs of natural sounds, such as waves or rain, to help create a calming atmosphere.
Plan ahead
Try not to fill leisure time with chores. Ensure some weekends, at least, are purely recreational. Sketch out your days so you know roughly what you are doing - but remain flexible, so you can stay in bed or read in the garden if you wish.
Keep effort to the minimum when you are entertaining. Plan ahead, shop in advance and eat quick-to-prepare meals. Bear in mind that cooking can be relaxing, too, if you take your time and have everything you need.
Visualise calm
Try this visualisation exercise to help you relax. Make sure you're sitting comfortably, then close your eyes and imagine you are on a desert island. Use your senses to explore the colours, sounds and smells as you drift deeper into a relaxed, meditative state. When you are ready, you can bring your awareness gently back to the present, safe in the knowledge you can retreat again whenever and wherever you choose.
Eat well
People with good intakes of vitamin B1 are more likely to feel composed and confident than those with low intakes.
Vitamins B2 and B6, and selenium can also have a beneficial effect on mood. This may because they stimulate increased production of serotonin in the brain, which helps us feel happy. Good quantities can be found in wholegrains, fish, turkey, venison and even chocolate.
Eating chocolate can increase brain levels of the mood-altering phenylethylamine, producing a mild, confidence-instilling buzz, as well as tryptophan, which is converted to serotonin in the body, and theobromine, which peps you up. That's three good reasons why chocolate is so addictive!
Dr Sarah Brewer is the author of 'Live Better: Relaxation - Exercises and Inspirations for Well-being' (Duncan Baird Publishers; £4.99).