How Your Weekend Sets You Up for a Successful Work Week
A friend and I were talking about how she was so tired from her busy weekend. She told me what she did and I was exhausted just listening to her! Both of her weekend days were jam packed with work and fun itinerary. I told her that my weekend was full of rest, reconnection with my family, and relaxation. After my weekend, I felt like I had reset and was ready to work my 40 hours in 4 days.
If I work 40 hours in 4 days and have commitments the other 3 days of the week, where is there any time for me to rest? There simply isn’t. And if I do this week after week after week after week, I am going to 100% be burned out. And don’t get me wrong, I definitely learned this the hard way but I am here to tell you that your weekend DOES set you up for a successful work week.
What helped me get out of the pattern of cramming everything I possibly could into my weekend was just simply saying, “maybe” to any and all invitations. I live my life in the “maybe” lane now. And it has really helped! I no longer feel obligated to follow through with any plans on Saturday and Sunday because I didn’t agree to them in the first place. I just say, “I’m not sure what’s going on that day so I’ll be a maybe” or, “Let me see how I feel as we get closer.” This way of thinking and communicating with friends sets a boundary for yourself. As a consequence of this shift, I no longer have to cancel plans and be left with a gut-wrenching guilt afterwards.
In addition to my “maybe” life, I make a mental list of my “wants” and “needs” for my off days. What is it I want to do and what is it I need to do? Think of wants as your fun plans and your needs as things that are necessary. On your “needs” list, always schedule “quiet” time like:
A nap
Exercise
A long bath
Brunch
Meditation
Time to reflect
An activity that you enjoy most - for me, baking and creating macramé are my go-tos!
These activities should be things that you enjoy and don’t feel stress from; they’re something that fills you back up so you don’t feel depleted after the previous work week or before the work week ahead.
Now, I must confess, I do have “tidy-up” on my “need” list every weekend. But, I don’t let it rule my weekend. After all, cleaning is not my idea of fun but, it is a necessary part of my weekend. Typically I carve out time to tidy-up on Sunday afternoons and although I don’t like that activity, it helps me feel fresh for the work week ahead - my mind is tidy and my house is tidy therefore I am ready to conquer the upcoming week.
In the coming month I challenge you to shift toward this way of moving through your weekend. Remember, this idea takes practice and boundaries, but the first step to success is prioritizing down time in your weekend. Happy weekend, happy human!
