There’s nothing worse than the Sunday Scaries. It’s been quoted that because the Monday Blues just don’t seem frightening enough! They’re called the Sunday Scaries because by the time you get to the end of Sunday, you should feel like you’ve accomplished something on your couple of days off between working. The problem is that most people get to Sunday and don’t feel like that. But they do feel like they have to rush. Before they know it, Monday has come round again. When you’ve lazed around on the weekend, instead of being productive, it makes you feel like you’ve done something wrong.
If you’ve been relaxing and you didn’t feel really relaxed. You still feel like you did something wrong. Learning how to relax on the weekend isn’t the easiest thing to do. And yes, while you might be playing minesweeper between meetings at work, you may not want to relax with that on the weekend at home. Burning out is hard to ignore when you’re on a daily grind, and while productivity is a good thing on the weekend, trying to fit in time to relax is an absolute must. So let’s take a look at some of the things that you need to do to be able to relax on the weekend.
- Check out an unread book. When was the last time you scoured your own bookshelves to find a book with the spine that you haven’t yet cracked? The ultimate way to unwind is reading a book because you can get lost in a world that’s not yours. Forgetting all of your to-do lists, stopping worrying about your tasks in your meetings, and focusing on somebody else’s world for a change can make a big difference to how you feel. Reading can help you to relax, to reduce your stress, and to make you feel like you’re doing something fun for yourself. The rest of the tasks can wait because you’re going to escape into another world for at least half an hour.
- Start binge watching your favorite series. Whether you revisit a series that’s a favorite of yours or you decide to start something new, blocking out some time for binge watching is a great idea. We all have a tendency to munch on things while we watch TV, so just make sure that you pick yourself a platter of snacks that are good for your body rather than those that make you feel gross or bloated. If you’re more of a watcher than a reader, then pick out a series that you’ve been wanting to watch and go one after the other until you get it finished.
- Take yourself on a mini road trip. If you don’t fancy staying indoors this weekend, then go somewhere that you’ve never been before. Take a look at your local area and pick somewhere about an hour’s drive. Putting on a podcast or some music and going on a drive to a peaceful place Is a great way to have some fun. You can go solo to reconnect with yourself, or you can grab a friend to go with you, but taking yourself on a small road trip out of your local suburb and somewhere in the mountains is a good way to take some time away. You could always park at the bottom and hike up and then hike back down again to get some decent fresh air.
- Do something that you love. Whether it’s spending time with your pets, writing a story, or playing an instrument, you need to carve out time at the weekend to do something that you love so that you feel like you’re not just rushing around. If you’ve got kids at home, you may feel like you’re never slow down and stop for 5 minutes. It has to be your decision to be intentional and purposeful in slowing down and taking your time to be relaxed.
- Go and get a massage. Sitting at a desk all week long can make you feel hunched over and tensed up. Using your time at the weekend to go to a spa for at least an hour to an hour and a half to get a good massage and rejuvenate your mind is a good way to unplug from your screen and just relax. It may be tempting to sit on a chair and scroll through your phone whilst you are doing this, but all that’s going to do is close your mind. If you’re physically active through the week part of your job, then a good massage is highly recommended.
- Unplug. A social media detox for the weekend is a great way to relax. If you’re sitting staring at a screen all week for work, then the last thing you want to do is just go home, sit on the couch and stare at the small screen and doom scroll. The whole world is happening outside of your house, not on your phone. So put your phone away, switch it off even, and get out of the house. Don’t take it with you, don’t hook up to Spotify. Just go and be in the world. It can be entertaining, but it can do a lot to your mental and physical health. Disconnecting from social media and spending time that old school way is going to help you to feel relaxed and your neck, your eyes and your thumbs will thank you for it.
- Declutter. It may not sound relaxing, but it can make you feel physically and mentally relaxed to declutter your home and get rid of some old things that you no longer need. It’s usually a dreaded job for some people, but it’s actually one of the good ways to unwind because you’re going to reduce your stress hormones by not having all that mess around you all the time.
- Book the weekend away. Take yourself away for a weekend trip, either alone or in a group. Chill by the pool, hike, find a home, stay far away from the hustle and bustle, and help yourself to find what you’re looking for. Maybe you’re looking to visit new places in your local area or new cities in the same country that you live in. Hop on a plane or get behind the wheel of the car and just go and find them.
- Look after yourself. If you’re strapped for cash and you still want to be able to pamper yourself but you can’t afford a spa, stay in and spend some time on yourself. Cook something delicious, put on a homemade face pack, and watch your favorite movie. You can soak in a hot tub, have a workout in the living room, and even meditate. There is so much that you can do and you can even order yourself a takeout on Uber.
- Catch up on some sleep. Working all week long can be draining, but if you can spend some time in bed just catching up on some rest, you’re going to feel great about it by the time Monday rolls around again. There is nothing unproductive about catching up and allowing your body to rest.
The weekend is your time to unwind, to stop and to slow down. Give yourself the space and the time to do that, and you’re going to feel instantly better about yourself and about how you spent your weekend. Go back to work on Monday feeling refreshed for a change.
