5 Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Weekends
If you work a full time job, it can often feel like you never have any time off. With your free time limited to weekends, it can go by so quickly that it feels like Monday comes way too fast and you are back to the work grind before you even started enjoying the weekend.
For most of us, most of the time, life can be filled with work and stress, leaving us little time for leisure. If we get stuck in that cycle, years can pass us by before we realize we have not done any of the things that we enjoy doing. All work and no play makes for a very dull existence.
Therefore, it is important to make time for yourself to enjoy some of your favorite leisure or recreational activities. Your time off from work is valuable and making the most of it is a very effective tool for maintaining your mental health, well being, and overall quality of life. To make the most of your weekends and create wonderful new memories, why not take the time to plan some new adventures now.
Consider these five tips in your weekend planning process and have fun!
1. Put your work away.
The very first thing you should do to enjoy your weekend to the fullest is put your work away and out of your mind. Keeping personal time and work time separate is an important distinction that will allow you to give the proper focus to both when it is needed. When Friday rolls around, it is crunch time to tie up all the loose ends from the work week and put it away until Monday. You might even make a list of what you need to do on Monday so you can clear your mind over the weekend without having to remember all the things on your work to-do list. As soon as work obligations sneak into your weekend brain, your maximum enjoyment will be hindered. Try to create a healthy balance between work and life, acknowledging that our leisure time is just as important as work time. You will be much more efficient in everything when you are well rested and rejuvenated from a weekend of fun activities.
2. Create to-do lists.
Many people work long hours during the week and use the weekends for running errands or catching up on housework and chores. With all the responsibilities that need your attention, it is helpful to make a list of things to do in order to simplify your life in a more organized way. If your list includes some relatively small tasks that will only take a few minutes to complete, you may consider getting a few done during the week to lessen your weekend load.
3. Plan your food ahead of time.
Meal planning can take a lot of time but when you do pre-plan your meals it will give you more time to enjoy your weekend activities. We all have to eat in order to maintain our health and energy levels, so be sure to incorporate healthy foods into great tasting meals that you will enjoy. Nobody enjoys staring into an empty refrigerator when the hunger pangs strike in the middle of your leisure time. If you have meals prepared and ready to go, you will have more time and energy to enjoy your weekend plans.
Meal planning is also a great way to broaden your culinary horizons. Why not try out some new recipes or foods that you have always wanted to try but never make the time to prepare the meals. You can also center your entire weekend around cooking and food if you want. Sharing food with friends and family is a wonderful way to connect with others, spend quality time together, and make new memories with your new recipes. And if you really want to relax and boost your food experience, you may consider including some Delta 9 THC Gummies in your weekend list of must-haves.
4. Make a list of all the things you would like to do.
Your wants, needs, and desires are just as important as anyone else’s, so be sure to make time for the things that you enjoy doing. Burnout does not happen simply because you are doing too much. You get burned out when you aren’t doing enough things that feed your spirit and make you happy.
In order to do all the things that you have wanted to do with your leisure time, you can begin by making a list of your favorite activities that bring you joy as well as a bucket list of things you would like to try for the first time. Your list can be as mutable as you prefer, making additions to it as you think of more ideas while crossing off items that no longer interest you. Keep this list on hand and make it a point to fit at least one or two of the things on it into your plans for the weekend.
5. Formulate a plan.
Itineraries are not just for vacation planning. They can also be a helpful tool for planning simple weekends at home. If you have a lot that you want to accomplish on the weekend, an itinerary will give you a structured schedule to follow so you can set aside the necessary time to get things done efficiently so you can get to your leisure activities more quickly.
A organized plan will help you focus on the necessary things and make avoidance less likely. Putting things off until later simply adds more stress and anxiety to your life and you need time away from stress and anxiety. Try to plan out your weekends, making sure to include relaxing activities, like a laid back coffee hour in the morning, a long refreshing sunrise stroll, catching up on a favorite show, reading a book, or even playing NDS games online, if that’s your thing.
The more housework and chores completed during the week, the more time you will have on the weekends for personal enjoyment. Whether you work a full time Monday through Friday job or have a nontraditional work schedule, it is important to find time for self care and a little bit of fun. Whatever weekend activities you choose, I hope you make the very best of it!
How do you plan out your weekends and leisure activities?
Check back tomorrow for more photos from our weekend trip to Burlington, Vermont. We had such a wonderful time!
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
18 Comments
Tamar Strauss-Benjamin
Such important and great tips!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Tamar! Have a wonderful day!
xoxo
Shelbee
Ruth
Hi Shelbee I really love these tips! I like to have fun things to look forward to and so making a list of things to do is a fantastic idea. Monday sure rolls around fast so doing something special on the weekend is so important.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Ruth! I have so many lists that I need a list to keep track of them all! The weekends really do fly by and we have definitely been making the most of them before summer ends. I hope you have a fabulous day!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Good tips. I like to work with lists. Especially for Gerben…….lol.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Nancy! Ha. Lists for Gerben!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lauren
I love this post and agree– the weekends can feel like they go by too fast! I love the idea of planning meals in advance. We do it during the week, but not on the weekends and I think that would free up some more time!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Lauren! I used to do way more meal planning when my kids were younger. I don’t do it as much anymore but it would be helpful! I feel like all time is flying time recently not just the weekends!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
It looks like you had a fabulous time on your trip!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It was a great time, Joanne! I shared more about it in today’s post!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
These are great ideas, Shelbee! I really like the meal planning one…if only I could remember to do it. I hate to cook so having meals planned for the whole week is wonderful. I love the photos of your boys in the VW van! I really want one of those! And, of course, visiting a giants, dragons, and unicorns museum would be one of the best ways to spend a weekend!!
https://marshainthemiddle.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Marsha! I am not very good at meal planning either. I used to love to cook and did lots of meal planning when the kids were younger. But I have grown tired of cooking and menopause has caused all sorts of food aversions for me, too.
I shared more about the museum in today’s post. My favorite part was definitely the giants, dragons, and unicorns exhibit!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
These are great tips!!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jennifer!
xoxo
Shelbee
Claire Justine
Great list. I hate having to work every other weekend as my husband works weekends too so we can never plan anything. My goal is to one day find a job with weekends off 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Claire! I do enjoy that both my husband and I have weekends off so we are able to do things together. I hope you get that soon, too!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Amen to this! I remember watching a documentary about a hunter-gatherer tribe in the Amazon when I was in my 20’s. They maybe worked about a half day to have their needs met. I remember thinking that these people had it made. (Although given my current dislike for camping, it’s not as appealing as it once was.) What’s up with these 60-80 hour work weeks some people put in now? I know a few people do thrive on this schedule, but most don’t. It’s kind of insane. Your body and mind need rest and recreation.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Michelle, I can see how that documentary would appeal to you. Just work for what you need and then enjoy your life! But yeah, I am no hunter-gatherer so I wouldn’t fare well in that lifestyle! I did work a crazy Wall Street job clocking in countless hours…and it almost killed me! So I am definitely not one who thrives on that kind of schedule. I do much better in a calm and peaceful, slow paced environment. I just watched a documentary called “Sensitive, the Untold Story”. It is about the 20% of the human population that has the personality trait of being highly sensitive and it was really enlightening in helping me understand why that 60-80 work week schedule nearly killed me while others thrive in it. I highly recommend the documentary for everyone to just help understand yourself (if you are a sensitive person) and the people around us (if you are not a highly sensitive person).
xoxo
Shelbee