Friday, March 9, 2018

Five Ways To Enjoy Yourself This Weekend

 If you asked my friends whether or not I knew how to relax, they would undoubtedly say no. More than likely they would laugh as they said it and it would come across as if it were in all caps with multiple exclamation marks behind it. If you were to look at Pinterest articles I've saved on a secret board you'd discover that most of them are about productivity (and they have to be on a private board because the number of them only further confirms my adoration of efficiency). 

You may be wondering where I am going with this, but it may explain the reason the title of this post says to enjoy yourself over the weekend instead of relax. I have no place giving pointers about relaxing over the weekend since more often than not, I spend my weekends working in some fashion. Since I am attempting to juggle a number of different "jobs" all at once, I have to use my weekends wisely. Over time however, I've realized that if I don't take some time to enjoy my weekend then the next week feels so much longer since I'm starting the week with my energy tank already partially depleted. 

Since discovering this, I've tried to turn my brain off at certain points in the weekend without feeling guilty that I'm not getting things done. Sometimes this requires me thinking about socializing like as twenty year old as a job, but the results tend to be the same...the more I've enjoyed the weekend, the less scary Monday morning feels.


Since I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way, I thought I'd share 5 of my favorite ways to enjoy myself over the weekend. 

1. Drink Coffee in Bed
Saturday mornings can be such an internal struggle. Do I wake up early and go to a coffee shop and be productive or do I not set an alarm and enjoy a cup of coffee in pajamas in bed? While sometimes the first option wins, I try to allow myself the simple luxury of having a slow morning at least one weekend morning. My favorite way to do this is by opening my blinds, making a cup of coffee, and drinking it in bed. It's silly to think that being in my room in the morning when it is light outside is a little luxury, but when your weekday alarm goes off when mine does it makes a bit more sense. Usually the night before I have mentally scheduled a slow morning I put on one of my favorite pajama sets to add even more enjoyment. 

2. Make Firm, Fun Plans
Most weeknights I have class or meetings making it especially hard to see friends or have fun plans. Because of that, I try to make sure that at least one night of my weekend (usually Saturday night since teacher tired is a real thing on Friday nights) involves plans made with friends. Lately, we've been going to a friends apartment before venturing downtown but even just going to dinner as a group and having an excuse to look put together works for me. 

3. Put Your Computer Away And Allow Yourself To Relax 
Stepping back from the responsibility an convenience of responding to emails or working on different things can be especially hard for me if my computer is within reach. Because of this, I try to make sure that I put it away for at least an hour when I am just hanging out at my apartment to avoid the temptation of doing work. Whether my roommates and I are hanging out in our living room or I'm watching a show before bed, having my computer closed forcing me to focus solely on what I'm doing has become pretty important. I am the queen of multitasking so if I have the opportunity to do that I'll definitely take it. 

4. Treat Yourself
Wouldn't it be so fun to have a budget to treat yourself to a new outfit or fancy meals all weekend long? Yeah, I agree but I also know that's just not a thing for most of us. Because of that, me treating myself over the weekend is usually doing something small that makes a bigger impact on my day or week. One of my favorite ways to treat myself over the weekend in order to enjoy what I'm doing is to go somewhere to do work.  I love going to a coffee shop to do work for hours. While I'm still doing work there, I am enjoying myself so much more due to the environment. Another fun and easy way to treat yourself is to purchase fresh flowers for your room. I find myself smiling all week when I walk into my room after a long day to something alive and colorful! Whatever it may be, the weekend is reason enough! 

5. Go For A Walk 
Now that the weather is finally warming up, I've been loving going on long walks. Getting out in the sun and doing something I enjoy can completely make my day. Most Sundays feel pretty overwhelming and I never quite feel like I will get it all done so my newest mindset (which I'm sure my friends will find shocking) is to at least do what I enjoy since it's already not all going to get done. This past weekend I went on two long walks and they were both highlights of my weekend. Since I usually call people and catch up with them on Sunday anyway I decided to multitask in that enjoyable way. By the end of my walk I felt refreshed from getting outdoors and stretching my legs while also feeling productive and happy after talking to my friends and family! 

If you're anything like me and tend to treat Friday night like a weeknight (in the sense of getting work done) I'm sure these tips will help you to relax and enjoy yourself a bit this weekend. I'd love to hear any other ideas below. 
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