Put a vase of fresh flowers in your kitchen or dining table. Harvard University researchers found that this immediately improves your mood. So bring out the blooms to ensure you start the day feeling absolutely positive.

According to research at Canada’s University of British Columbia, working in red makes us more diligent and is good for tasks that need close attention to detail. Using a blue pen, on the other hand, helps us be more adventurous, making it better for creative tasks.

Drink iced water beforehand. “If less heat is stored in the body, sensations of fatigue are lessened,” says Stacy Sims, a researcher from Stanford University in the US. Plus it reduces the sensation of being overly hot and sweaty, giving people positive affirmations to keep going.

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The brain is better at certain tasks at different times of the day. Studies have found that we’re most creative earlier in the day and most productive around 11am. The best time for doing tasks with others is mid-afternoon as you’re most relaxed then.

As you sit to enjoy your meal, spend one or two minutes breathing at a rate of just four to six breaths at minute. According to Kelly McGonigal, author of Maximum Willpower, this turns on an area of the brain called the pre-frontal cortex, and that’s the part that strops you giving in to impulses.

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This is the key to avoiding end of the day aches and pains. say acupuncturists. Just sit and turn your palms upwards – it’s almost impossible to slouch as you do.

Pout your tipple into a straight glass. It’s easier to gauge how much you drink in a straight glass and this allows you to pace yourself more effectively, say experts.

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According to research at the University of Queensland, caffeine makes people more persuadable. It’s all down to the fact that drinking coffee boosts alertness, which makes people pay more attention to ideas, evaluating them more effectively and leaves them more open to agreeing with that’s being proposed.

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Not only is 30 minutes enough to boost fitness, recent Danish trials found that people who do half an hour of exercise a day lose more weight than those doing 60 minutes – as they’re more likely to stay energised and stick to a routine and less likely to overeat.

Text: Bauer/ Additional Reporting: Shenielle Aloysis