Address the stress of the week with these entertaining endeavours to help you soothe anxiety over the weekend

Sometimes, making it to Friday can feel like a real challenge, with anxiety and stress occupying our minds – bringing down our mood, and draining our resilience. When we do eventually get to the weekend, it can be easy to use it as a time to catch up on all the things we were too overwhelmed to do during the week and then, before we know it, it’s Monday, and the cycle starts all over again before we’ve had time to catch our breath.

So, if you’ve had a full-on week, your stress levels are peaking, and you’re struggling with anxiety, we’ve got some suggestions for ways you can make each weekend one dedicated to rest and rejuvenation.

Escape to a different world

When daily life gets too much, escape the toil with the power of stories. If you’re a reader, this may be the time to curl up with the book that’s been sitting in your to-read pile for a while. Or if films are more your thing, settle down with a warm drink and spend the next couple of hours in a whole new world.

When deciding on how to pass your time, it might be worth considering exactly what you need from this activity. Are you looking for a good laugh? An inspirational message? A drop of nostalgia? Or total escapism into a fantasy world?

Whatever you go for, bring some mindfulness into it. If you notice that your attention is starting to wander, prompting that anxiety to creep back in, try to recognise those thoughts, let them go, and bring your focus back to the film or book you’re absorbing.

Go somewhere new

You won’t need your passport for this one, because even a trip half an hour down the road will do. Stuck in our routines, we can end up going between the same places again and again. Going off and discovering somewhere new breaks those daily patterns that can, sometimes, bring us so much anxiety.

What’s more, we also get that sense of adventure and discovery, something that we adults tend to do less of as we settle down. If you’re near the coast, finding a new seaside spot has the added benefit of ‘blue therapy’ – which refers to the soothing feeling we feel when next to large bodies of water. But those of us who are landlocked still have so much to gain from natural spaces such as forests and dales. Or, visit the next town over. Trawl for treasures in charity shops, find yourself a warm, cosy coffee shop, and there are always unexpected, quirky delights to be found in local museums.

Learn some new self-care skills

Self-care is something that is spoken about a lot in health and wellness communities. And you might have a good idea of the basics (making nourishing food, taking a relaxing bath, journaling), but now might be a good time to learn some new techniques like self-massage, ‘morning pages’, relaxing yoga routines, or even birdwatching.

Prioritise and delegate household chores

Sadly, as much as we might wish it, household chores don’t halt when we need a break. But if you do need to get things done this weekend, see whether you can shake things up.

Firstly, have a stern look at your to-do list. You might a

Ready to let love in? From tracks that capture everyday moments to proud declarations, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best love songs that really get relationships right

Ah, the classic love song. There’s something irresistible about cranking up the volume on a track that tells the story of one the most intense feelings we can have. From belters to laments, these tunes have the ability to tap into the highs and lows of our love lives – being there for us when we need them the most.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being seen by a song – or of sitting back and taking in the lyrics as each one hits the nail on the head. It’s a cathartic experience, reminding us that we’re not alone, whether that be in our happiest moments or through challenging times. So, here, we’re giving you a leg-up for finding your perfect match, with 10 songs that get relationships right.

1. ‘All I Want is You’, Barry Louis Polisar

Sometimes, love and relationships can feel vast and complex – and, sometimes, they're simple. A foot-tapping track that had its time to shine in the iconic opening of the film Juno, ‘All I Want is You’ breaks those big feelings down to celebrate the simplicity of love, and the ways that we go together with our perfect match.

2. ‘Bless the Telephone’, Labi Siffre

This one is for all the long-distance lovers out there. With its simple, yet passionate, guitar lines, ‘Bless the Telephone’ traces a phone conversation between two people, thankful for these small moments of connection that can mean so much.

3. ‘You’ve Got the Love’, Florence + The Machine

A song that has become iconic since its release (no doubt helped by the fact that President Obama included it on his 2012 official Spotify campaign playlist), ‘You’ve Got the Love’ channels the euphoria that can come with good love. So, put your hands in the air, because this love will see you through!

From dispelling myths about motherhood and revealing the postnatal pressure on parents, to sharing the sanctity of self-care, bestselling author, podcaster, and actress Giovanna Fletcher has been a comforting voice of support for years. And now she’s embarking on a new challenge, following her passions and finding herself centre stage…

Since Giovanna Fletcher launched her hit podcast, ‘Happy Mum, Happy Baby’, a wealth of celebrity guests, from the Princess of Wales to Fearne Cotton, have joined her for openhearted and fearlessly frank conversations about parenthood.

Based on her bestselling book of the same name, the podcast, which boasts more than 20 million downloads, aims, says Giovanna, to help new mums “feel better about themselves” – something made possible by her own natural warmth and openness about her experience of raising her sons Buzz, 8, Buddy, 6, and Max, 4.

And Giovanna has no plans to take a breather from podcasting, because she understands that for some women, her support could mean the difference between life and death.

“The leading cause of death in new mums within the first postnatal year is suicide,” says Giovanna. “Well, let’s have those chats, let’s get people talking so they know they’re not on their own, let’s be that hand in the dark for people when they feel like they aren’t valued and not enough, because they absolutely are enough.

“The more that we can dispel the myth that there’s a right way to do motherhood and that you can fail in it, the better.”

Speaking from her new home in Hertfordshire, against a backdrop of framed pictures including one, which reads ‘Yo Mama You’ve Got This’, Giovanna makes no secret of the fact that, at times, juggling a busy, evolving career and raising her boys with her McFly musician partner, Tom Fletcher, can feel overwhelming, but she says organisation is her key to “self-care” because it avoids her “flapping” around in the morning. Vitally, she accepts that occasional mistakes are par for the course.

“Angela Scanlon once told me that we’ve all got balls flying in the air. Some are glass, and some are plastic. We have to keep the glass balls in the air because they’re precious – that’s family – but we have to allow the plastic balls to drop every now and then,” says Giovanna.

“I’ll let the class WhatsApp slide for a week and then have an ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going on? What have I forgotten? Sorry kids!’ moment.”

Numerous studies show that in heterosexual relationships, women are responsible for the lion’s share of childcare and housework, and perform far more cognitive and emotional labour than men. Research from Arizona State University also reveals that almost 90% of mothers in committed partnerships say this responsibility leaves them feeling overwhelmed, ex

Whether you want to prevent burnout or recover from it, resilience is essential – but did you know joy could be the secret to building it?

In the summer of 2020, I burnt out. I was running a side business alongside my job here at Happiful and, compounded by pandemic stress, it all got too much. I pressed pause on my business, and used the extra time to prioritise rest and joy. I slept in, started drawing, read more fiction, and watched films that inspired me. I filled my cup and, in time, I found my way back to me.

But the me I found was different. I had a new perspective, and realised how important joy was in having a fulfilled life and, ever since, I’ve been making decisions that prioritise cultivating joy. Now, this wasn’t a truly conscious decision at the time. I was simply exhausted and needed a break. But I’ve now learnt that joy may actually be what we all need to help build resilience, and overcome burnout.

To really get to grips with this concept then, it’s best to start with the basics and ask: what exactly is burnout?

“Burnout is a state of physical and mental exhaustion brought on by excessive and prolonged periods of unmanaged stress,” explains positive psychology practitioner and joy coach Sophie Cliff.

“The World Health Organisation categorises burnout as having three distinct symptoms – depleted energy and exhaustion (always feeling tired, no matter how much you rest), feelings of negativity and cynicism (struggling to find the silver linings, or feeling like nothing you do will make a difference), and reduced performance (struggling to achieve at the same level as you might have done in the past).”

Sound familiar? While the World Health Organisation typically sees burnout as purely work-related, many of us now recognise that burnout can be caused by a range of issues, from parental burnout to autistic burnout.

A common thread through all types of burnout is the way it makes us feel: exhausted, frozen, and unsure of how to keep going. Something that can help us move forward is that oh-so-elusive resilience. Often viewed as our ability to ‘bounce back’, resilience isn’t about ignoring what’s happening and simply pushing through. It’s about giving space to your feelings, acknowledging them, and doing what you need to feel better.

“Resilience can take different forms,” Sophie says. “For some people, it will look like bouncing back to old routines quickly following adversity, while for others it might be having the ability to start over and adapt to a new normal following a period of stress.”

Interestingly, Sophie notes that joy can help us cultivate resilience in a number of ways.

“Firstly, research shows that experiencing and focusing on little moments of joy helps our bodies recover from the physiological effects of stress. Joy can also give our lives a sense of meaning and purpose, which, in turn, boosts our capacity to deal with challenges and bounce back from adversity.”

The fact that joy can give our lives a sense of meaning is something I can attest to. When I burned out, I felt lost and unanchored. And when I focused on doing things that made me happy, including starting a brand new hobby (drawing), I broadened my vision of what it means to liv

Many of us are longing for a more optimistic outlook on our careers, so we're saying ‘goodbye’ to quiet quitting and ‘hello’ to quiet thriving

Last year, we saw the term ‘quiet quitting’ floating around. This is the idea of doing the bare minimum and only engaging in your core responsibilities – no staying late or early starts. This quickly moved beyond the workplace to people’s day-to-day lives, including marriages and relationships.

While some people see the benefits to quiet quitting – having a better work/life balance, being in control, and less likely to burn out, to name a few – for many, rejecting the hustle culture mentality can actually have a negative impact on our mood. We can quickly become demotivated and experience a lack of enthusiasm toward our work or relationships.

What’s more, last year saw the period dubbed the ‘great resignation’, but what about those who can’t afford to quit? Whilst silently ‘getting by’ at work may seem like a good way to set boundaries and protect our mental health, in the long run, it can be damaging. So, how do we go about achieving an optimistic mentality at work, whilst still avoiding burnout? The answer: quiet thriving.

‘Quiet thriving’ is the new buzzword in town. It’s quiet quitting’s antithesis. This is the idea of actively changing the structure of your workday so that you begin to feel more engaged. Perhaps you’re stuck in a work rut – lacking the inspiration or creativity you need to be inquisitive and excited about your job. Quiet thriving is about reigniting this spark, without compromising your wellbeing.

If this sounds like something you need in your life right now, we’re sharing some tips to help get you off on the right foot.

Change your mindset

If you can make a conscious effort to try and reframe your negative thoughts and replace them with positives, you’re halfway there. We likely all have elements of our jobs that we dislike, and it can be easy to focus on these at the start of the workday. Instead, try to draw your attention to the aspects of your role that you enjoy - whether that’s being creative, writing, or meeting with your colleagues to come up with new ideas. By doing this, your work will start to feel more meaningful.

Set boundaries

Having a clear start and finish time and making sure you take regular breaks throughout the day will help keep you on track. During your working day, you can dedicate that time solely to that – work – but be strict about keeping this between the hours that you set (no checking emails late at night). This will not only allow you more time to spend with family and participate in your hobbies but will help keep burnout at bay.

Praise your achievements

Take note of the little wins as well as the big accomplishments. This will help boost your confidence at work. Writing a list is a great way to keep track of your successes so, if you’re ever feeling stuck, you have something to refer back to when you need a pick-me-up and a reminder of your capabilities.

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