February 26th, 2016
5 Tips for a Meaningful Weekend
Weekends are perhaps my MOST important time of the week. It’s when I relax, rejuvenate and de-stress (yes, I even feel stressed sometimes- believe it or not!). Sometimes though I find that my weekends come and go and I’m still wiped on monday morning (not a good thing). So, lately I’ve been in search of ways to make my weekends more meaningful, and I’ve come up with 5 tips for a meaningful weekend that I want to share with you. (Note: this picture was one of my most meaningful and fun weekends to date).
- Tip #1: NO WORK! I used to work on weekends, and honestly it made me totally zapped. Out of gas, out of creative ideas, and just plain old flat. So I’ve installed this new thing in my weekend which is no work. That means I’m checking email twice a day (AM and PM) just incase a client needs me (sometimes that happens with my concierge business), but all in all if I can help it I try to back off of the work over the weekend. It really helps.
- Tip #2: Plan something yummy! This doesn’t necessarily mean booking a delicious lunch date (although it can), but instead I mean book something into your weekend that makes you feel good. A massage, a manicure, a date with your foam roller, draw a bath, see a movie that makes you cry (in a good way). Do something that feels good. We spend a lot of time doing things that don’t feel so good (like waking up at 6 AM every morning to hit the gym –> no matter how hard I try it doesn’t feel good until I’m done!), so do something that feels delicious.
- Tip #3: Curl up on the couch with your breakfast! This is something I truly cherish and is something that makes me feel so good. Nothing says relaxing like my breakfast (oats, duh), the Today Show (or weekend version of it), and my PJ’s. Do something that you don’t necessarily allow yourself to do during the week or don’t have time for – it seems to make the week disappear more quickly, and allows that “weekend feel” to set in more quickly.
- Tip #4 Practice self-love! Self- love is key ALWAYS (I’m sure you’ve heard me go on about this one before!), not just on the weekend; however, sometimes it’s easier on the weekends to practice that self love because we seem to have more time. My version of self love on the weekends is making it a priority to get to my favorite gym class no matter what. It also means saying no to things I don’t really feel like doing, because to me that’s self love- listening to my heart (although I’m definitely a pleaser!). Do something for you!
- Tip #5: Do something with someone you love! Taking time for the people in your life who mean the most (even if it’s just on the phone), can really help to make the weekend more meaningful (even though sometimes we really just feel like curling up on the couch by ourselves). I find that my heart is always filled with more love and joy, and I return to the weekend more energized when I spend a l little time with those I love. Give it a try!
I hope this post helped you think more clearly about the things you want to spend time doing this weekend, the people you want to spend time with, and the things that will help you have your best and most relaxing weekend (at least in a while!).
For more posts on self-love and mindfulness see here:
8 Simple Ways to Practice Self Love
3 Active and Calming Yoga Poses
Photo cred: Eddie Bourchier, Location: Banff National Park