It’s Monday again. The most dreaded day of many workers everywhere. When you wake up in the morning, do you often find yourself wondering, “Where did my weekend go?”
People think of their Saturdays and Sundays as the perfect time to make up for whatever things they couldn’t during the weekday. Everyone’s looking forward to it — to sleep in, hang out with friends, do some cleaning or just do nothing.
But, this can also turn into a routine, the very same thing you do from Monday to Friday that you’re trying to avoid, and instead of getting some time to relax, you’ll feel even more exhausted and drained.
So, what are some things you can do to truly relax and recharge during the weekend and be ready again for another five days at work? Here are some activities and lifestyle changes you can try:
1. Plan things out.
You’ve had a busy week, and when you finally hit the weekend, sometimes all you want to think about is just lay in bed and do nothing. But it’s completely impossible to spend two days doing nothing.
Instead, you’ll end up doing mundane things that won’t help you relax at all, and will only make you feel like you’ve wasted your precious break. So, create a list of the things you must do, and while they may not always fall under the category of “fun,” you’ll still derive some pleasure from knowing that you’ve accomplished something.
2. Set your alarm and get up early.
Even on the weekend, the same rule applies: the early bird gets the worm on the weekend. When you choose to sleep in (which we completely understand; it’s very tempting), you also lose precious hours of your break time.
In addition, it can have a big effect on your sleeping patterns when it’s finally time to get back to your daily grind. Don’t get into the habit of the sleeping way later than your normal waking time on the weekdays, as this will only make you feel drowsy for the rest of the week, which means you won’t get much work done. Instead, take a relaxing nap during the day.
3. Pick up an audiobook.
This isn’t to say that it’s time to ignore all your printed reading materials. But, if you truly want to make the most of your time during the weekend, audiobooks are your best bet. Audiobook publishers take pride in the fact that their products allow consumers to multitask while still enjoying and getting engaged in their material as they try to complete all their chores.
Some may think that this is a lazy approach. However, many have attested that other than listening to music and podcasts, listening to stories actually has better calming effects.
4. Limit or cut your social media and smartphone use.
Unplug and take some time off of social media even for just two days in one week. It may not seem like much, but the amount of time you spend browsing through countless social media accounts can be used for doing other things that will truly help you relax and recharge. It’s better for your mental health as well.
Try out all these things and have a fun, relaxing weekend!