These strategies can help you transform frantic Saturdays and Sundays into the breaks your body, mind, and spirit need — and deserve.
1. Rethink your week.
Tackle chores during the week, says Katrina Onstad, author of The Weekend Effect. Spend a few evenings paying bills, doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, or mowing the lawn. However much you accomplish, stop working after Friday. “This requires adjusting your standards and being OK with a little mess,” she says.
2. Claim your free time.
If you must deal with “domestic buildup” or a work project on a weekend, create even one rejuvenating experience, such as taking your dog on a long walk without your phone, says Onstad. “The more time you unplug, the better you’ll feel on Monday.”
3. Prioritize fulfillment.
Spend time on physical health, escapes, and people — what professional organizer Julie Morgenstern calls the PEP formula — and you’ll feel more satisfied on Monday. Take care of your body through sleep, exercise, healthy meals, massage; recharge through hobbies, games, or other passions; and spend time with people who nourish you.
4. Use time blocks.
Think of the weekend as seven units of time, suggests Morgenstern, referring to Friday evening; Saturday morning, afternoon, and evening; and Sunday morning, afternoon, and evening. “Dedicate those blocks of time to what’s important to you.” If you absolutely must work, limit the time you spend on those tasks to only one or two of those blocks.
This was excerpted from “Reclaim Your Weekends” which was published in the July/August 2021 issue of Experience Life magazine.
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