If you feel as though your days off just don’t feel as good as they once did then it may be that you need to make a positive change. If you don’t know where to start then this guide will tell you everything you need to know, so you can move forward with a bit of positivity and a spring in your step.
Disable your Email Notifications
The first thing you need to do is disable your email notifications, as well as your social media notifications. This can be difficult but it is going to be the most effective way for you to ensure that your weekends feel longer. If you have apps like Slack then make sure that you turn off those notifications too. You ideally need to do this as soon as you leave the office on a Friday night, because if you don’t then you may find that it is much harder to start your weekend. If you don’t do this then you may find that your email keeps pinging and this is the last thing you need. You may also want to come off social media for a little while. The best thing about disabling social media notifications is that it helps you to prevent endless scrolling and it also stops you
from being distracted all the time. Less screen time translates to you having more real-life adventures which is always a good thing.
Emergency Contacts
If you are on a call then it is a good idea for you to ask your manager to see if they can text you rather than email you. If you don’t do this then you may want to put your phone on silent or even Do Not Disturb. You can then whitelist some numbers as a way to make sure that you can get the result you want. Let your team know that you are coming offline for the weekend as this will help you to ensure that they are going to respect your downtime and it also means you can keep some time for yourself too.
Embrace the Slow Start
Another thing you need to try and do is embrace the slow start if possible. If you jump out of bed and jump right into the chaos of midday then this will make your life feel like chaos. If you want to do something about this then make sure that you pace yourself and that you take the time to make sure that you wake up properly before diving into your day. If you want to help yourself then you need to try and make sure that you wake up at the usual time you would if you had work. Although this can count as a bit strange as you do want a lie-in when you can, you will find that you have way more time in the day to get things done. You can wake up, have a coffee, or even take a walk if you want, and you won’t have to worry about stress at all.
Midday Pause Zones
Carve out intentional breaks during the weekend too. Whether you want to take a nap or even have a peaceful lunch, you do need to make sure that you have a pause as this is a good way for you to refresh your mind and ultimately prevent burnout. Try and take the time to add something a little bit sensory so that you can take the time to make your weekends feel fuller and much more memorable too. If you can do this then you will soon find that it is easier for you to extend how long they feel.
Try Something New
Another thing you can do is try something new. Explore a new park or even take the time to pick up a new hobby. If you can, take your dog for a walk in a different area too. Fresh experiences like this are great for engaging your brain, and they also allow you to create long-lasting memories. If you can do this then you will soon find that you can give each weekend a purpose and that you can also take the time to make your life feel way more fulfilling. If you haven’t got a starting point, then you can try playing a new game you might not have tried before. Games like Spades are great here, so be sure to look into that. You can even get your family involved here, by asking them to take part and by versing each other. This is a great way for you to make your weekends more fulfilling.
Weekend Getaways
Plan some short trips so you can break up the monotony a little bit. If you want, you should also try to leverage recency bias. This is where you give your brain more weight so that it can have more engagement overall. Plan a big dinner or a date if you can, as this will leave a lasting impression and it will also cause your weekend to feel longer overall. Remember that even smaller changes, like visiting a new café can make your weekend feel as though it is much more exciting than it would have been normally.
Stay Organized
If you can, you also need to try and stop chores from creeping up on you all the time. Free up your weekend by taking care of chores during the week, and you will soon find that things begin to work in your favor. Spread out things like bedding changes, laundry, and cleaning tasks.
Create a schedule and make sure that you include specific times to account for all of your household chores. If you can do this then you will soon find that it is more possible for you to keep your weekends free, and at the same time, you can also keep a tidy space without stress. If you want to help yourself here then you will soon find that you can maintain a tidy space without having to worry about a thing.
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