Do something creative.
Using your creativity can also give your brain a mental boost. In fact, creativity is associated with increased positivity and relaxation—so come up with a creative activity or exercise to try over the weekend. It’s okay if you don’t think of yourself as an “artistic” person; creativity can take many different forms. Keep exploring new activities until you find one that’s fun and relaxing for you. For example, you could try: Drawing or sketching Creative writing (such as stories or poetry) Playing music Journaling Dancing Photography Knitting Candle-making Scrapbooking
Hang out with friends and loved ones.
Social connections are vital to your mental health and happiness. Make some space in your weekend to spend with the people you care about, whether that means friends, family, a significant other, or all three! Spending quality time with the people in your life during busy or stressful weeks can be tough, making the time you spend with them over the weekend even more meaningful. Try to plan some sort of social activity every weekend, whether you hit the town with a group of people or FaceTime your best friend from home and catch up for a couple of hours. Even if you can’t hang out in person, try keeping in touch via text or social media. Check in with your friends, see how they’re doing, and organize a day out together in the future when you’re both free.
Have a home spa experience.
Pamper yourself with a luxurious bath and self-care routine. A long bath (or shower) can be the perfect way to unwind over the weekend. To make your spa experience even more blissful and soothing, try using beauty or hygiene products you enjoy like bath bombs, essential oils, or a face mask. Before you start, turn the lights down low and light a few candles to create a more relaxing environment for yourself. If you like, expand your at-home spa day and give yourself a manicure or pedicure as well.
Eat a healthy diet.
Some foods are proven to help reduce your body’s stress and anxiety. Certain foods are known to fight the symptoms of stress, while others increase them. Make an effort to incorporate stress-relieving foods into your diet, including vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seafood, and plain yogurt. On the other hand, minimize the amount of caffeine, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners in your diet—they can raise your stress levels. That doesn’t mean you can never have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine again. Just enjoy them in moderation! For example, limit yourself to a single cup of coffee or alcoholic drink with dinner—and don’t drink alcohol or caffeine every day. You can always enjoy a decaffeinated coffee or a virgin cocktail (without the liquor) in place of your usual caffeine or alcohol as well. An artificial sweetener is a food additive that makes something taste sweet without actually containing much sugar. You’ll see them often in drinks or snacks advertised as being “low-sugar” or “zero-sugar.”
Play some relaxing music.
Listening to music you love can lower your stress levels. Studies have shown that music isn’t only fun to listen to; it’s also genuinely an effective stress reliever! So, make a point to listen to music to create a truly relaxing weekend for yourself. Sit and listen to music deliberately, or simply play it in the background while doing other things. Play whatever kind of music you usually enjoy listening to. You might make a playlist of your current favorite songs, for example. If you’re unsure what to listen to, plenty of music streaming platforms (like Spotify or Amazon Music) have featured playlists tailored to a particular genre or mood. You might even be able to find a playlist design for relaxation!
Plug in an oil diffuser.
Inhaling essential oils is super relaxing and a great mood stabilizer. Turn your home into a calming environment by using an oil diffuser. Place the diffuser in a room you often use—like your bedroom or living room, for example. Then, choose an essential oil known for its stress-relieving capabilities to use with the diffuser, like lavender, chamomile, lemongrass, or sandalwood. This is also known as aromatherapy, which involves inhaling essential oils to take advantage of their calming properties. Always use essential oil in moderation at first—it’s often highly concentrated. A little bit goes a long way!
Take time to meditate.
Meditation is a great way to decompress and de-stress. It’s designed to quiet your mind, clearing it of everything—current worries and obligations included—leaving you feeling calm and relaxed afterward. If you’ve been feeling a little tense or anxious, try setting aside some time to meditate. It doesn’t take long; if nothing else, try meditating for 10 minutes before bed on Sunday night to relax before the week starts. Make sure you meditate somewhere quiet and peaceful at home. That way, you won’t be distracted by any background noises. Set a timer before meditating so you won’t get distracted by how much time you have left. It’s okay if you can’t meditate for very long at first—start low, at 3 or 5 minutes, and go up from there.
Maintain your regular sleep routine.
A regular sleep routine is best for your health and well-being. It might seem like sleeping in super late over the weekend is the best way to catch up on sleep, but in reality, a steady sleep schedule is much healthier. The average adult needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night—so over the weekend, ensure that’s what you get. Consistency reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle, which will help you stay rested during the week. Of course, it’s still okay to sleep in if you really need it (particularly if you had a very late night). Overall, however, try sticking to a single sleep schedule as much as you can. Plus, if you do something tiring over the weekend, you can always take a power nap during the day.
Plan something fun at the end of the weekend.
Make your Sundays fun to make Monday seem less daunting. Plenty of people spend their Sunday evenings prepping for the week ahead or doing all the chores they didn’t tackle over the rest of the weekend—but that can make for a pretty stressful Sunday. However, it’s easier to start your Monday off on a positive note if the last thing you do on Sunday is actually enjoyable. So, plan a fun final activity to round out your relaxing weekend. For example, you might do a couple of chores on Sunday afternoon—but then spend Sunday evening cooking dinner and playing games with your partner or enjoying a quiet movie night with a couple of close friends. It may also help to think of something you’re looking forward to in the week ahead. Sunday nights can feel gloomy if you’re stressing about your week, so instead, think of something that makes you feel excited and optimistic.
Treat the weekend like a mini-vacation.
You’re more likely to relax and have fun if you’re in a vacation mindset. It’s easy to spend your whole weekend thinking about work and everything coming up over the next week rather than unwinding. However, if you put yourself in a “vacation” mindset, you’re actually more likely to take it easy and relax—spending more time on leisure activities and less on chores or work. In short, it helps you live in the moment a little more. For example, rather than telling yourself, “I have two days until work starts again,” try telling yourself something like, “I have two days of vacation!”
Stay in the moment.
Enjoying each moment prevents stress and negative thinking. While you’re having fun over the weekend, take a moment to focus on what you’re feeling and sensing at that moment. Practice by identifying 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This relaxation technique can help you center yourself and live in the moment (rather than worrying about the future).
Make a to-do list for Friday.
Get some chores out of the way early so you’ve got a free weekend. It might seem like weekends are the best times to do all of your chores—but if you’re running around tackling responsibilities all weekend, you might not have time to relax! So, instead, make a to-do list and plan to get a few chores handled on Friday. That way, come Saturday morning, you’ll have nothing to do but kick back and enjoy your free time. Better yet, make a plan to get most of your chores done throughout the week whenever you have free time. If you space out your chores and tackle one or two each day, you won’t have as much to do by Friday. Plus, if you tackle your chores early enough on Friday afternoon, you might still have some time to decompress on Friday night. For example, you might read a favorite book or watch a movie when your work is finished.
Turn off all work notifications.
Prioritize your free time and try not to worry about job responsibilities. Your weekend is time for you, so don’t let work and other obligations consume it. The more time you spend worrying about your responsibilities, the less time you’ll have to relax. So, as soon as you’re done with work on Friday, turn off your work notifications and log out of your email (or any other accounts you might have). All of it can wait until Monday! Turning off your work notifications will also help you spend less time browsing phone apps overall, which means you can be more present and enjoy your weekend.
Spend some time outdoors.
Fresh air and sunshine are proven to reduce stress and depression. Did you know that studies show spending time outside is great for your health and does wonders for relaxation? It can speed up your mental recovery from stress and help your ability to focus. So, take advantage of those perks and pick an outdoor activity or two to try over the weekend. For example: Go hiking on a scenic forest or mountain trail. Do some sunset yoga outside in your yard or a park. Take a bike ride around your town or visit a local bike trail. It’s okay if you’re usually not too keen on spending time outside. Even a simple 30-minute walk around your neighborhood can be super refreshing!
Make time for your favorite activities.
Weekends offer free time to do things that make you truly happy. It might seem obvious, but one of the best ways to relax over the weekend is simply to do something that brings you joy—whether that means reading a book, watching a soccer game on TV, going shopping, or playing a video game. Spending time on the things you love leaves you feeling happy and fulfilled as you head into the next week. Not sure what to do sometimes? Make a list of hobbies and activities you enjoy, and refer to it when you need inspiration. Alternatively, take this quiz if you want to know what to do in your downtime and can’t make a decision!
Get some exercise.
Exercise is a super effective mood booster. Exercise is important to your physical health and a significant source of stress relief—so after a long week, make sure you don’t skip out on exercising! Whether you follow an exercise video, go for a run, hit the gym, or learn an invigorating dance routine, find some way to fit a workout into your weekend plans. For example: Aerobic exercise gives your heart and lungs a workout and includes activities like jogging, cycling, walking (or power walking), and swimming. Strength training builds up your muscles and includes exercises like weight-lifting, squats, push-ups, and lunges.
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