Friday is finally here, and with it comes big hopes and plans for the weekend. As you know, though, sometimes our weekends aren’t quite as productive as we would like them to be. It is so incredibly easy to lose your weekend to distractions caused by technology, relationship issues, and unforeseen events. The result is that we often feel more stressed at the end of the weekend than we were at the start.
It is with this in mind that I have come up with 5 tips for having a productive and satisfying weekend. These are simple – yet effective – actions you can take that will make you even more excited about the weekend than you already are.
Good luck!
Come up with a plan for your weekend.
It seems that there are now more ways than ever to become distracted. Whether it’s watching television or exploring the internet, you will be much more likely to waste your time if you enter the weekend without at least a loose schedule of activities. Write in two to four things that you can look forward to doing, and then proceed accordingly. You’ll appreciate the focus this gives you, and you won’t end your weekend feeling guilty about all the time you wasted.
Schedule something fun for your Sunday night.
If you’re like me, you typically spend the last half of your weekend dreading Monday morning. In order to avoid that, I’ve started planning something I can look forward to on Sunday nights. This allows me to maintain a sense of excitement and anticipation throughout most of the weekend.
Get the most out of your weekend mornings.
Weekend mornings tend to be nothing more than wasted time. Too often this wasted time sets a bad tone for the rest of your weekend day. If you can convince yourself to get out of bed before the rest of your family, you will soon discover that this time presents an excellent opportunity for you to pursue personal time. Be it an arts and craft project, a workout routine, or a deep dive into your new favorite book, early morning is an excellent time to accomplish that which might be more difficult when everyone else is wide awake.
Schedule a nap time.
I know most folks think naps are just for little kids, but they are wrong. Trust me. I always feel better after I take a brief nap during the mid to late afternoon. Even better is when my entire family joins me in resting for a while. Schedule for you and your kids a legit chill time, and you’ll soon discover that your batteries are charged just in time for you to enjoy the rest of your day.
Limit your use of technology.
Spending at least part of your weekend away from computers, phones, and the like will enable you to rediscover the people and things that are most important to you. I highly recommend tuning out for a portion of your weekend. The result will be more direct contact and more effective communication with your loved ones. Plus, after staring at screens all week, your eyes and mind deserve the weekend off too, don’t you think?
The Music Mom: Eileen Carey 