Three tried and tested methods of maximising weekend rest

 Today is Sunday, which, for me, is generally a day of rest and recuperation. A day to re-set myself, leave the last week behind, and gear up for the next week. I usually take the time to slow down and refuel, physically, mentally, and emotionally. In this post, I would like to talk about that for a minute... resting.

Resting is an invaluable part of being human. Without it, we would surely crash and burn. Just looking at how much we sleep -  about a third of our lives - should give us an indication that we are not meant to keep going like Energizer bunnies. 

Now I know that this is easier for some personality types than others. For example, for me, despite it being the weekend, my thoughts still used to circle around work issues. I was trying to solve work problems instead of switching that part of my brain off and focusing on relaxation. So, how can we relax? Here are three ways that have helped me to maximise my weekend rest: 

1. Create a TGIF ritual

I have started doing this more consciously for the last few months. Every week, I write TGIF in big letters in my calendar. This doesn't just mean Thank God it's Friday, it means we're going to make a big deal of that fact! Now, big deal could mean different things to different people. For me, it usually involves having a nice meal with my family and planning something relaxing and enjoyable for the evening. Writing TGIF on the calendar helps me to look forward to the day and to put some effort into planning it, even if it's just ordering pizza, having a glass of wine, and watching my favourite series.

2. Take time to process and leave the past week behind

For me, taking some time out to process the last week has been a very helpful practice. This can take many forms such as talking to someone about the week, writing it down in your journal, praying about it, or even all three and more. I have found that when I consciously engage with what went wrong, what I was grateful for, and anything else that requires mental processing, I feel more ready to enter the weekend and the next week. 

3. Tune into your needs

I used to have this weird idea that weekends needed to run a certain way to be considered "good" - you needed to go on at least one outing, perhaps have people over, I could go on. I am not even sure where most of those ideas came from, but I have since discovered that there is no right way to have a great weekend, just a way that helps you relax. For the more extroverted among us, that may mean planning lots of social events. For the introverted, it may mean one coffee date with a friend and more time at home. Some of my best weekends have involved at least one nap! Tuning in to my own needs instead of feeling like I had something to prove has helped me to relax so much better on weekends. 

Perhaps some of these tips will work for you too. Feel free to leave a comment if you like. ENJOY the rest (pun intended! : D) of your weekend.