Rank these by how much they affect your mood: a good night's sleep, fresh air, decent food, and time with people. Which one do you notice most when it's missing?

A natural way to answer

I'd put fresh air first, surprisingly — a day stuck indoors leaves me restless and flat. Sleep comes a close second, then time with people, then food. It's the lack of daylight I notice most; it creeps up on me before I realise why I'm low.

Key phrases to use

• falls apart — (of a person, plan, or situation) stops functioning or coping properly“Without sleep, my whole routine falls apart.”
• feel off — to feel slightly unwell or not quite yourself, without an obvious reason“I've been feeling a bit off all week.”
• creeps up on me — (of a feeling) develops gradually until you suddenly notice it“Tiredness creeps up on me by mid-afternoon.”
• turn my whole week around — to change a bad period into a good one“One good chat can turn my whole week around.”
• drags me under — (of a feeling) pulls you down into low mood or despair“Loneliness can really drag me under.”