5:00pm - Start happy hour

The sooner you slug that cocktail, the less likely it will leave you tipsy. The science: your liver works more efficiently in the early evening, when an increase in body temperature (which rises throughout the day, then bottoms out while we’re asleep) boosts metabolism and helps you break down the booze, says Dr Edlund. As the evening ticks on and your body grows tired, alcohol’s alertness-dulling effects start to multiply – so go easy after that first drink.

6:00pm - Let ’em down easy

Unless it’s urgent, save a bad-news bombshell for after work. Drop it right before a meeting and you’ll just max out the recipient’s stress levels. An early evening delivery gives a person time to process what they’ve heard. “You can’t control the information, but you can control how they get it,” says Anthony Back, creator of Oncotalk, a training program funded by the National Cancer Institute in the US, which teaches doctors how to break bad news to patients.

7:00pm - Replace your runners

Your feet expand a half-size or more when you exercise, says Paul Langer, author of Great Feet for Life ($21.99, Fairview Press). Which means trainers that fit you pre-run might be squeezing your toes at the finish line. Buy running shoes after an evening workout and you’ll be more likely to get the right fit.