Make the most of your long weekends

Plan ahead

The easiest way to waste a weekend is to not plan ahead. Often the most enjoyable activities only happen if you schedule them in, and research shows a lot of the happiness that comes from a good event (such as a holiday) is due to anticipating the fun times ahead.

So start your long weekend before you finish work for the week. Take some time to sit down with some green tea or a glass of wine and write down some ideas of what you’d like to do. If you’re not sure what to write, start by just jotting down any appealing activity that comes to mind, without censoring yourself. These could be simple things like spending some time on your yoga mat or reading in the park, or more ambitious activities like climbing a mountain or taking a road trip somewhere new.

Once you’ve got a good list of possibilities, go through and circle the ones you really want to do. Here is where you should think about whether it’s practical to fit that three-day hike into your schedule, and cross out anything that you sort of like the sound of, but wouldn’t enjoy in reality (like planning to sky dive when you know your crippling fear of heights will ruin the entire week before the event).

Once you’ve narrowed it down to the most important things you want to do, make sure you schedule them in.

Complete a project

Ticking off a task that you’ve been meaning to do for ages is a great way to make use of your long weekend.

Maybe you want to write a short story to enter into a competition, repaint that cabinet in your living room or start a blog. Finishing something that’s important to you will give you a sense of achievement and make good use of your extra time.

Get out of the house

Even if you’re a homebody, spending three days on the couch watching Netflicks is going to leave you feeling sluggish instead of refreshed. Make sure you plan some activities that get you out of your pyjamas, whether it’s brunch at your favourite café or a walk in the park with a friend.

Exercise

If you slot a good workout into your weekend, it will not only feel like an achievement in itself, but will also energise you and make you more likely to do other worthwhile activities. To get the most out of your workout, get outdoors early in the day – sunshine improves your mood and sets your body clock, helping you to feel great all day and sleep well once the sun goes down.

Have some down-time

While it’s important to plan your weekend, don’t schedule every minute. One of the best things about a long weekend is being able to ‘do nothing’ for some of the time, so be careful not to overbook yourself. Different people need different amounts of down-time, so make sure you take as much time as you need to feel recharged.

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