Tips

LEAN ON ME Good friends literally turn mountains into molehills, according to research at Plymouth University. When volunteers were asked to estimate how steep a hill was, those who had friend by their side estimated the hill to be 15 percent less steep than the loners. The researchers found that the closer the friendship, the smaller your troubles seem. More Guy Wisdom tips

PSYCH YOURSELF UP Lifting at lunch? In a British study, men who mentally pictured doing an exercise for 20 seconds before lifting could hoist 12 percent more than those who didn’t focus beforehand More Fitness tips

CHAT UP THAT FOXY NEW COLLEAGUE... Liven up the morning with some playful flirting. Two-thirds of bosses are likely to allow the relationship, perhaps because more than 50 percent of dating colleagues end up in a long-term relationship More Sex tips

TAKE DEEP BREATHS The less your brain is occupied by dealing with stress, the more time it’ll have for creative thinking. Studies show that slow, deep breathing is probably the best anti-stress mechanism we have More Health tips

STEP ON THE SCALE Do it just after you’ve gone to the bathroom but before you eat breakfast. If you’ve eaten and exercised well this week, you’ll be pleased with the results. Repeat every Friday. People who weigh themselves regularly are less likely to gain weight More Weight-loss tips

SPICE UP DINNER Keep the energy level high with an exciting evening meal like spicy fajitas: cinnamon, a common spice in Mexican cooking, has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, while capsaicin in chilli peppers is known to boost mood More Food tips

SIPHON FROM YOURSELF Sneak money out of your pay cheques by setting up an automated savings account. Put away 10 percent of your monthly income in a 30-day call account and you’ll be surprised at the returns More Wealth tips

USE A SHAMPOO-CONDITIONER COMBO If 10 percent of men skipped the separate conditioner, the plastic saved would cover seven rugby fields. The shorter shower also helps your skin retain more moisture More Style tips

NO STRINGS ATTACHED Sony’s Wi-Fi enabled Cyber-shot G1 not only allows you to eschew pesky cables when downloading photos to your computer or PDA. Thanks to its 2GB of onboard storage you also don’t have to stress about packing a memory stick. Carl Zeiss optics make for crisp, clear images, which can be viewed with ease on the enormous 3.5-inch LCD. R5 500 Shaps Cameraland More Downtime tips