6 Ways To Practice Self Care This Weekend
If you’re feeling busy and overwhelmed during the week, it is crucial that you spend your weekends mindfully to recuperate for the week ahead. No, watching Netflix for 8 hours while thinking about all the things on your to-do list doesn’t count. Here are 6 ways to practice self care this weekend to restore your mental and physical health.
1. Take yourself out to brunch.
Brunch with friends is nice. Brunch with friends with mimosas is even nicer. While both of these things are fun – and may seem relaxing – they hardly provide the rest that your brain deserves and can easily turn into a complain fest, especially after a long, taxing week. Go out on a solo brunch instead to meditate on the past week over coffee and your favorite pastry. Even better, bring a book or newspaper to keep it screen-free.
2. Go outside.
Sunshine and greenery are naturally uplifting and according to some studies, improve short term memory by 20%! It is also a great way to break out of the cycle of repetition, since you will likely be exposed to different scenery and seasonal transitions. Stepping outside to go to the store across the street doesn’t count – set an intention to spend some time outside without an end goal or destination. You will be rewarded with a much more restorative experience.
3. Go to the bookstore.
Remember bookstores? The brick-and-mortar buildings containing shelves and shelves of books? Bookstores are like a buffet for the mind – each book or magazine cover is designed to engage you on a topic that you love or pique your interest on a fresh new genre. A visit to the bookstore is surprisingly relaxing and offers you a chance to check in with your hobbies and interests, outside of work.
4. Mind your living space.
Although cleaning may be the last thing on your mind during these precious moments out of the office, setting some time aside to mind your living space over the weekend can help your brain reset itself from the past week and sets an intentional tone for the following week. Think of it less as a chore, and more as a self care regimen. Had a bad mishap at work? Sweep the floors to get rid of that mental residue. Feeling anxious about a looming project? Tidy up the sink so you can face the week with a clear mindset.
5. Prep your meals.
Meal-prepping is not only good for your health and wallet, but it also serves as a reminder that you are in control over the things that you put into your body. A lot of stress and anxiety stems from the feeling that you are lacking control. While many things at work may, in fact, be out of your control, leveraging the quality and quantity of your meals can be empowering. At the very least, you have healthy, homemade meals to look forward to during the week.
6. Don’t over-sleep.
Sleeping in until noon or taking multiple naps to “catch up on sleep” over the weekend can actually make it more difficult to get through the rest of the week. The most effective way to rest up this weekend is to get your 7-8 hours while honoring your sleeping cycle – that is, waking up and going to sleep at the same time everyday. This will ensure that you get good quality sleep and are ready for the 6am wake up calls during the following week.