6 Tips to Enjoy Your Weekend

We all look forward to the weekend, a time to unwind and leave work behind, even if just for a little bit. It’s refreshing to step away, and it is instrumental in helping you recharge for the upcoming week. But how often do we reach Sunday night and feel like our weekend was a waste and you aren’t quite ready to return to work? Sometimes we might wonder if we could have used our time differently to get the most out of the weekend. If you struggle with that, here are six tips to enjoy your weekend a little more strategically.

Take a Break

The weekend should be a time for your to relax and enjoy your time off of work. Of course, you may have some loose ends from the previous work week to tie up, but don’t spend your entire weekend working. Finish up the work you have left and then focus on relaxing for a bit and returning to work on Monday. Even on the weekends where you have enough work to take up the entire weekend, make sure you make time for a little break to help you rewind and enjoy your weekend.

Make a Schedule

Usually when you think about scheduling things, you think of work and not the weekends. But planning out your weekends can help you get the most out of the fleeting hours. If you do it ahead of time, you won’t have to waste time trying to figure out what you need to do. Scheduling your time will also help you find the perfect balance of work and relaxation or play, even if it’s simply scheduling some time to do nothing. Scheduling will help you get your work done, take time for yourself and enjoy your weekend.

Don’t Leave Everything for the Weekend

If you know you have a lot of errands, housework, or responsibilities in the upcoming weekend, try to knock some of it out during the week. Doing so will ensure that you have more time for the things that you want to do.

Catch Up on Sleep

If you feel like you’re losing sleep during the week, stay in bed a little longer on the weekends, but make sure you limit how much longer you sleep in. You don’t want to sleep your weekend away. And if you sleep too much over the weekend, you may ruin your sleep schedule for the rest of the week.

Do Something You Enjoy

Even if you love your job, spend some time during the weekend doing something completely unrelated that you love. If you have a hobby, work on that for awhile. Maybe read a book or cook a nice meal and spend time with your family. The weekend should have time built in for you to enjoy yourself and escape from work.

Put Away the Electronics

At least for a short while. When you go unplugged, you allow yourself to live in the moment and escape the endless email notifications from work. Doing this will help you push away the stress of work and be ready to take on the next week.

It can be easy to arrive at Monday and wonder where the weekend went. Next time, do your best to maximize your weekends using these tips as a start or rough outline. If you can learn what works best for you, you can make your weekends productive, relaxing, and re-energizing. Here are a few more suggestions for how to use your free time more productively.