Let’s face it, Mondays kinda suck. Even Sunday afternoons can turn sour as we anticipate the workweek ahead. More than three-quarters of people say they get the pre-work “Sunday blues,” according to a recent poll. Starting your Monday feeling sad, anxious, and unorganized is hardly the way to kick off a healthy week.

The solution? Set aside a little time on Sunday to purposefully prepare yourself for the five days ahead, suggests women’s health expert Marsha Hudnall, MS, RD, president and co-owner of the Green Mountain at Fox Run, a wellness retreat in Ludlow, Vermont. Taking on even just a few of these simple hacks every Sunday will help you launch a productive, less stressful week—and make a habit of it.

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Do some meal prep

Figuring out what to have for dinner on weeknights can be a surprisingly stressful time suck. Sketching out a menu plan on Sunday (and swinging by the grocery store for ingredients) will help you eat well and avoid last-minute drive-thru runs. Go a step further by chopping and cooking veggies and a protein (like a roast chicken or scrambled eggs). Then all you have to do is heat and plate when you come home from work Monday evening. 

Or finally pull the trigger on that meal-kit subscription you've been meaning to try. Talk about easy dinner planning: Just order, and you have a week's worth of raw materials for delicious and healthy meals.

Start a Sunday stress-relief habit

“To be healthy, we have to take care of body and mind,” says Hudnall. Stress has a major impact on health and our ability to concentrate, so starting a Sunday stress-busting habit can launch the week feeling strong and focused. Four ideas to try: a guided meditation session with the help of an app; forest bathing—a practice known as shinrin-yoku in Japan, which basically means taking a long walk or hike in a wooded area; gentle exercise like yoga; or time cuddling and playing with your pet.

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Set a bedtime and stick to it

Do not stay up binge-watching your favorite shows to squeeze the last few drops of weekend out of your Sunday. One research review found that losing two or more hours of your usual sleep for just a couple days in a row can make you perform worse on memory and reaction-time tests. Making sure you get a solid 7 to 9 hours of rest on Sunday night will put you in a more optimistic mood and start your week off energized. 

Make a quick 'looking forward to it' list

Write down (or take mental note of) three things you’re anticipating in the week ahead, says Hudnall. Meeting an old friend for lunch? Finally tying up the loose ends of an ongoing project? Even if your list is full of mundane events—your mid-afternoon coffee run is so familiar and comforting!—just noticing the good things can make you feel happier and more alert. A 2014 study in Psychological Science found that anticipating something good that will happen in the future, such as planning a vacation, makes people feel excited and happier about life in the present moment, too.

Bust out your calendar

You don’t need to map out your whole week or make a huge to-do list—just take a peek at what’s on deck for Monday and Tuesday. Even if the days are jam-packed, knowing what’s coming can relieve energy-sucking anxiety and leave you in better shape to tackle the task at hand.

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Schedule three workouts

While you’ve got your calendar app open, put yourself down for three exercise sessions. You know that regular sweat sessions help you sleep better, feel better, and think better all week long, but you also know how easy it is to let gym time get crowded out by all your other responsibilities. “Get to know yourself—are you a morning workout or a night workout person? Respect that and set up your schedule accordingly,” says Hudnall.

Get outside

We know, some of the most beautiful Sundays of your life are spent under blankets with Netflix and takeout. (Us too!) But walking in nature (like in a park, arboretum, or other green space) can boost memory and attention by 20% compared to strolling typical city or suburban streets, according to University of Michigan researchers.

RELATED: 9 Easy Ways to Practice Self Care This Week

Even just looking at pictures of nature for 10 minutes had a positive effect on cognition. So if you can’t bring yourself to head out, at least try to scroll National Geographic or watch an episode of Blue Planet. Exposure to the beauty and wonder of the great outdoors will pay off big when you're stuck under the harsh lights and airless rooms of an office building for the next five days.

I never thought I’d be starting a global nonprofit—and definitely not because I needed a new bra!

As a mom of two, I’d gained weight with both of my pregnancies and never really lost it. So in 2014, a couple of close friends told me over a glass of wine, “You need to take more time to get healthy.” 

The message sunk in. I started making better food choices and running. Over the course of 10 months, I lost 35 pounds. I don’t care much about fashion, so I kept wearing my old clothes until the summer of 2015, when my husband told me one day, “You can’t go to a business meeting in that bra.”

Read more stories about innovative and inspirational women, check out our Wellness Warriors series

It didn’t fit me around the torso anymore, and I couldn’t tighten it. While buying new bras at a local store, I asked the clerk what I could do with all of my perfectly good used bras that no longer fit me. She looked at me and said, “Homeless women need bras.”

Those four simple words changed my life. I went home and called a shelter near my home in the Washington, D.C., metro area. Their response: “How soon can you bring them?”

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I don’t normally post on Facebook, but I felt compelled to mention that I’d just learned of this overwhelming need. Did anyone else have old bras to give away? The shelter had mentioned that women and girls are also frequently in need of pads and tampons, so I asked for donations of those, too.

People shared, and reshared, my request, and it got crazy really fast, in a “lightning in a bottle” way. Within two days, my Facebook group, Support the Girls, was born. A few months later, my husband made a website to keep up with the demand.

RELATED: This Insanely Comfortable Bra Has Over 2,600 Near-Perfect Reviews on Nordstrom

By that time, I’d made it to the shelter, and I had collected more than 1,000 bras and more than 7,100 pads and tampons. It didn’t make sense to stop there. Today, Support the Girls has nearly 60 affiliates across the U.S., as well as around the world. We’ve donated around 5 million products, including mastectomy bras, prosthetics for women going through cancer treatment, binders for trans boys and men, menstrual underwear, and menstrual cups. We’ve donated to Chicago public schools and the Indiana Department of Corrections, and provided supplies during and after natural disasters like Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Dorian.

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Campaigners say 25 new cases have emerged since the leak of a report into maternity care in Shropshire.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur when there is inflammation in the pelvic region, including the bladder and urethra.

UTIs commonly happen when bacteria from the rectal region come into contact with the skin around the opening of the urethra, which leads to the bladder.

UTIs are especially common among girls (because of a shorter urethra) and uncircumcised boys.

Recurrent UTIs

Some kids get UTIs frequently – this is known as recurrent UTI and can cause significant kidney damage, especially in children younger than six.

The signs and symptoms of UTI

Signs and symptoms of UTI often go unnoticed, so it is suggested that parents be on the lookout for the following symptoms:

• Complaining of pain, burning or stinging when urinating
• Urinating more or less than usual
• Darker coloured or strong smelling urine
• Fever
• A loss of appetite, listlessness and general malaise
• Pain in the lower abdomen or back
• Sudden bed wetting

Are there underlying reasons for UTIs?

When a UTI is diagnosed, it can often be treated successfully with a course of antibiotics. But when a UTI is recurring, it could be because of an underlying condition that may cause serious complications if not treated.

One of these is vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). This condition happens when the urine flows back from the bladder into the kidneys and the ureters. When this happens, urine can pool in the kidneys and, in rare cases, lead to infection of the kidneys. VUR is common and occurs in 30%–50% of children diagnosed with UTI.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) in the US, most children who have underlying VUR responsible for a UTI recover fully. The situation can, however, lead to other problems such as urinary incontinence and bed wetting, or bowel problems like fecal incontinence.

Another condition that may cause a UTI is enlargement of the kidneys (hydronephrosis) caused by blockage of the urine flow.

Other more complicated reasons

Sometimes, recurring UTIs occur for other reasons that are not easily diagnosed. Children may be suffering from something called dysfunctional voiding – where they don’t relax the muscles properly and can’t completely void the bladder. Not urinating often enough or trying to hold in urine can also cause a UTI.

A child should therefore be encouraged to properly empty their bladder and make a habit of going to the toilet as soon as they feel the urge – not holding it in.

Other than these, children can also suffer from recurring UTIs if there is an abnormality in the immune system.

Treating UTIs

Treatment depends on what is causing the UTI in the first place. Antibiotics and simply teaching your child to completely empty their bladder or wipe from front to back will help. In cases such as VUR, the condition can be outgrown, but the child needs to be constantly monitored for kidney infection.

According to Dr George Flesh, director of urogynaecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery for Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, a UTI should be thoroughly diagnosed, no matter how many symptoms there are or how insignificant the symptoms may appear. 

Prevent and manage UTIs

These tips may help to prevent UTIs or catch them early:

• Encourage your child to drink enough water during the day.
• Encourage them to talk to you if there is any discomfort or pain when they go to the loo.
• Avoid bubble baths and fragranced soaps.
• Teach your young daughter to wipe from front to back to avoid bacteria spreading to the urethra.
• Teach your child not to hold in urine.

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Marelize Wilke

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Just because your upper arms are temporarily hidden under sweaters and jackets doesn’t mean you should neglect them. Here’s how to tone them with weights for better definition – now and when they’re fully back in view.

Hammer curls: These are an effective variation of the bicep curl. Stand up straight, a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides, wrists facing inward. Without moving your upper arms, raise the dumbbells until the ends closest to you touch the fronts of your shoulders. Hold briefly, then slowly lower the weights to the start position. If lifting both arms simultaneously is too difficult, do this exercise with alternating arms.

Alternating hammer curls: This advanced variation of the hammer curl is done in the basic plank position. Get on all fours. If you’re strong, extend your legs straight behind you, with toes flexed. If not, keep your knees bent on the floor. Arms should be straight, but rather than having palms flat, each hand holds a dumbbell flat on the floor. Contract your abs and keep your upper body straight as you press your body weight onto your left hand. Now raise the weight in your right hand until the end closest to you touches the front of your shoulder. You’re moving only your forearm and keeping your right elbow close to your right side. Lower with control to the start position. Repeat, alternating sides with every lift.

Triceps swing backs: This move tones the backs of your arms. From a standing position, lower your upper body toward the floor to a tabletop position – your back is flat and parallel to the floor. Press your upper arms against your sides, elbows at a right angle, forearms perpendicular to the floor. Without moving your upper arms, straighten your forearms behind you, hold briefly and then bend to return to the start position.

Depending on your ability, start off with two- to five-pound weights. Build up to three sets of 12 reps each. Once you can comfortably complete all those reps, increase the weight.

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