{"id":981,"date":"2021-02-25T10:41:43","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T10:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/almosttheweekend.com\/?p=981"},"modified":"2023-05-09T21:18:01","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T20:18:01","slug":"how-to-improve-your-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/almosttheweekend.com\/how-to-improve-your-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Improve Your Weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

15 Easy Ways to Enjoy Your Weekends More<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yay \u2013 the weekend\u2019s here: time to relax, recharge, and enjoy your well-deserved time off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what if you find your weekends aren\u2019t quite meeting your expectations?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ever feel like the weekend\u2019s over in a flash and you didn\u2019t do all the things you wanted or get the R&R you really needed? It\u2019s time to improve your weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How To Make The Most Of Your Weekends<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re regularly feeling a bit underwhelmed by the weekend, chances are you\u2019re not starting Monday morning feeling refreshed and fulfilled by your time off. Here are 15 tips to help you start improving your weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Identify where\/how you can improve your weekend<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First things first, take a look at where your weekends are going wrong<\/strong>, as this won\u2019t be the same for everyone. Once you identify the problem, it will be much easier to address it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you spend too much time running errands and doing catch-up jobs, so you get very little downtime. This means you\u2019ll head into each new week already feeling frazzled instead of recharged. Or maybe you\u2019re prone to spending half of your weekend on the sofa down a YouTube rabbit hole and then get up on Monday morning wondering what happened to the time and feeling unprepared for the week ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever the issue, it\u2019s easy to turn your weekends around with some simple steps. Stop wasting those weekends and find out how to enjoy them to the full<\/strong> while still feeling like you got some important stuff done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve identified where<\/strong> your weekends might be going wrong, it\u2019s time to think about what<\/strong> would make them better. What do you want to achieve out of your time off, and most importantly, how do you want it to feel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, this won\u2019t be the same for everyone: some people will want their weekends to include lots of socialising, others will want to be productive with DIY projects, some will want to take trips (post-pandemic!), while others will crave some quiet alone time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve figured out your own balance, that\u2019s your starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"15<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

2. Change your weekend mindset<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Part of the reason you might be looking to improve your weekends is because you find yourself being disappointed by them. What if you could feel more satisfied with your weekends just by changing your mindset?<\/strong> Sounds implausible? Well, a study published in the Harvard Business Review in 2019 concluded that this was completely possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study involved over 400 U.S. workers, half of whom were told to treat their weekend like they were on holiday, and half of whom were told to treat it like a normal weekend. They found that the group who treated the weekend like a holiday enjoyed it significantly more than those who had treated it as a standard weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, so unsurprising: but<\/strong> the important takeaway was that it wasn\u2019t the difference in weekend activities between the two groups (or the money spent on those activities) that caused the increase in happiness. Instead it was the mindset<\/strong> adopted by the \u201cvacationing\u201d group: they ended up being more mindful of what they were doing, paying attention to the current moment and enjoying it to the full. This led them to increased happiness where they enjoyed their weekend more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trying to be present in what you\u2019re doing at the weekend (instead of worrying about what\u2019s going to happen on Monday, for example) can go a long way towards making your weekends happier and more satisfying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Schedule your weekend time better<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the easiest ways to improve your weekend is to by structuring your time to feel like you\u2019ve made the most of it and not wasted it. Getting to Sunday and feeling like you\u2019ve squandered your precious time off means you\u2019re more likely to succumb to the Sunday night blues<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An easy way to change this is to \u201cfront-load\u201d your weekend with the boring stuff<\/strong>, like errands, housework, grocery shopping etc. Get up and do these things on Saturday morning, if you can. By lunchtime you\u2019ll feel a sense of accomplishment at having already worked through your list of chores, plus a feelgood sense that the rest of the weekend can free of dull commitments \u2013 and also guilt!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re thinking there\u2019s no way you could get through everything needed to keep your household going by Saturday lunchtime, then try to think of any places in the week where you could fit in any of these jobs. Anything you can squeeze in during lunch breaks or after work will free up time for you at the weekend. And trying to do things like sorting out the kids\u2019 schoolbags for next week on Friday evening will free time up on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, if you start cleaning the house, or some other project, on a Saturday morning, set a timer<\/strong>. You\u2019re more likely to focus and work faster if you know the clock\u2019s ticking. Don\u2019t let chores take over more time than necessary \u2013 its too easy to let them creep over into the test of the day, so restrict the time available to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Plan some things in advance\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re more likely to do the things you actually want to at the weekend if you plan them in advance<\/strong>. Making a plan means it\u2019s more likely to happen and not get shelved because something else got in the way. What you do is up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to do an online yoga class? Plan it: book your place and set aside the time. Want to be productive and get on with a project? Plan it and set a specific time to get started. Meeting friends? Schedule a time in advance instead of vaguely planning to catch up at the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making a plan and putting things in the calendar means you\u2019re much more likely to finish the weekend feeling rejuvenated<\/strong>, instead of feeling resentful about what you never got round to doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other benefit of planning something for Saturday or Sunday is that you get to enjoy the anticipation during the days leading up to the weekend \u2013 and that might be just the thing to get you through a long or tough week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. \u2026But leave room for spontaneity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although having something enjoyable planned for the weekend is a good idea, it\u2019s better not to have it completely scheduled in advanced. Leave some space in your weekend for being spontaneous<\/strong> and you\u2019re more likely to feel relaxed about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the week, our work, school and family lives are led by routine, so breaking away from that during the weekend can help to differentiate it from the daily grind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Get enough sleep – but not too much<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Bed,<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The weekend should definitely include some time to rest, relax and recharge. You won\u2019t be refreshed for a new week if you haven\u2019t had time to get over the last one. So try to prioritise rest \u2013 and sleep \u2013 during your time off. Many of us tend to stay up later on Fridays and Saturdays, but try not to stay up hours later than your normal bedtime<\/strong> or you can upset your body clock. Same goes for oversleeping in the morning. Messing with your sleep patterns will only lead to more tiredness (and less positivity) on Monday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t feel guilty about taking a nap<\/strong> at the weekends either. A short daytime nap might be just the thing to recharge you \u2013 but try to keep it to 30 mins or less and before 2pm<\/strong><\/a>, or it could disrupt your night time sleep pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Have some no-tech time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t just rest your body \u2013 make sure you give your brain and your eyes a break<\/strong> at the weekend too, by having some no-tech time. Put down your phone, shut your laptop, and switch off the TV for a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unplugging from technology for a while is unarguably good for us<\/strong><\/a>, making us more present and able to enjoy the moment more, able to sleep better, and improving connections with family and friends \u2013 which are all key ingredients in improving your weekend time. So enjoy some time with zero distractions and grab a book, a jigsaw puzzle or  a board game – or head out for a walk, a jog, a picnic, or an alfresco coffee. All those messages and notifications will happily wait for you to return, and you\u2019re more likely to feel relaxed and rejuvenated when you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Get outside<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Woman<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

We\u2019re all aware that getting out in the fresh air and outdoor light has multiple health benefits<\/a><\/strong>, such as increased vitamin D absorption and decreased blood pressure. However, studies have also shown that spending regular time outdoors also decreases stress and increases happiness, especially when you spend time in green spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the easiest ways to improve your weekend and your wellbeing is to prioritise some time outside<\/strong>, preferably in a natural space. Get out there for a walk, a cycle, or any other activity to get you moving in the fresh air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always try to fit in getting outside whenever possible at weekends. Living in Scotland means we have to be prepared for all weathers, but we certainly don\u2019t let it stop us from enjoying some much-needed fresh air. One of the hardest parts of lockdown for me has been the restrictions on local travel. Not being allowed out of our area means we\u2019ve been missing some of our favourite weekend walks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you follow my Instagram<\/strong><\/a> you\u2019ll see some of our favourite walks regularly on there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Do something to improve your home environment<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pre-pandemic, you probably spent more time at home during the weekend than in the rush of the working week. And chances are you\u2019re spending a lot more time at home in general these days. So what better use of some spare weekend time than doing something to perk up your living space<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing one or two small things to improve your home environment won\u2019t take long and can really help to boost your mood and make you feel like you\u2019ve achieved something in a short space of time. Here are some quick and easy ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n