After having a long tiring week at work, we always look forward to a relaxing weekend when we can recharge our body and mind, and also prepare ourselves for the next hectic week ahead. Don’t we?

Like many of you, I also used to be a couch potato during the week off. Binge-watch Netflix with snacks by my side was my way of spending the weekend. If not this, then catching up with a friend and going out to eat at some restaurant was the other way of having the most out of the rest day.

However, as the coronavirus pandemic hit the nation, people were asked to stay indoors. It also gave rise to the work from home culture so that businesses keep running. In such unfortunate circumstances, I was left with no option except to stay at home during the weekdays as well as the weekends.

Sooner, I realized how boring and unhealthy my weekend routine is. Slumping on the couch and eating processed food was no longer making me happier rather increasing my chances of getting sick and rapid weight gain. I also realized that endlessly scrolling through Instagram was damaging my eyesight to a great extent.

As currently, it has become more important than ever to stay healthy, I started looking for some new ways to ensure that my weekend makes me a better person, help me achieve a positive mindset, lead a healthier life in the long run, and most importantly help me to effectively fight off Monday Blues!

So, here I am presenting such good changes that have been helpful for making my weekend exciting and make the most out of it even being cooped inside. I have personally tried them all and trust me they work wonders. Keep scrolling!

Start Your Day With a Great Meal

The best way to kick start a day is by having a healthy and nutritious breakfast. Nothing can beat the pleasure of eating a good meal. So, start your day with a healthy breakfast like a smoothie bowl, a glass of fresh chemical-free juice, a handful of nuts, yoghurt, fruits, or low-fat milk.

After a hectic week, you deserve good and tasty food on the weekends but that doesn’t mean you binge eat on unhealthy food items. There are plenty of healthy dishes in Indian cuisine. Either cook at home or opt for a healthy meal service in your area that is serving home-style meals. After all, “Good Food is Good Mood”.

Share What You’re Going Through

Noticing your feelings and sharing them with your loved ones can make you feel a lot better. Just having someone to listen to you is a big stress-buster. Friends and family are not the people we share fun times with. They are also the people whom we reach out to when life is getting tough. And for this reason, weekend is the best time to reconnect with your close ones to talk about your emotions.

In addition to this, keep checking in on others too. Be supportive to your closed ones who are going through hard times. Talk to them, listen patiently, and be there. It’s not necessary that you are reaching out to people to seek solutions, sometimes pouring your heart out is all you need to lower the burden of stress that you’re carrying vice versa.

Stop Procrastinating, Take Actions

Procrastinating is a never-ending loop. It’s a bad habit that prevents us from doing new things and achieving greater results in life. So, instead of procrastinating, get a grip on the new task or new skill that you always wanted to learn and hold on to it. Find a new passion or something you’re good at but due to your work commitments you don’t have much time to become a pro at it.

Just make the first step and you will never know how it will benefit you in the near future. It might be hard initially so force yourself. Once you get a hang of it, it would be a lot easier. Also, don’t drain your energy. Take the break, recharge your battery, and then continue the task. You don’t need to succeed everytime but at least you gave it a try instead of wasting time on stupid things. That’s enough to feel proud of yourself!

Make Time For Self-Care

Self-care is not a selfish act. We get so busy worrying about others that we forget to love ourselves. The only way to be at peace and keep your body calm is by paying little attention to self-care. Self-care means a lot of things, from treating yourself to a healthy meal, getting yourself into a kick-ass workout, indulging in a skin-care session, getting adequate sleep, eating healthy food, and so on.

Spending quality time with ourselves is as important as with others. You get to know a lot more about yourself when you spend some time alone. It can help you to identify the things that matter to you the most and clear your thoughts. Self-care is also helpful to be grateful for the luxuries that you have and not anybody can easily afford. Try this weekend and let me know how you liked it!

Cut Down On Your Social Media

Too much social media can make you anxious and stressed. During the covid times, it has become absolutely crucial to limit social media intake to secure mental health and rather revive hobbies such as journaling, painting, cooking etc. Don’t rely on social media to feel happy or energized. The inability to control social media usage can make your daily life difficult.

However, since you can’t ignore it completely on workdays, the least you can do is avoid the usage on the day-offs. Given below are some of the many changes that I have observed after cutting down on social media for two days:

• I have learnt how to utilize time properly
• I have become more productive
• I have become more focused on the things that matter more
• I have lesser mood swings
• I have the ability to control my unhealthy addictions
• I have started spending more time with my family
• I have stopped comparing myself with others’ achievements

End Your Day With A Good Laughter

Laughter is the best therapy. As the Monday blues start kicking on Sunday eve, it’s better to keep your focus on funny things that makes you happier. Recall the best funny moments that you’ve had with your friends or family members. Connect with them virtually if you are residing away from home.

It is the best way to stay stress-free, boost immune health, lower blood-pressure, and keeps the heart-healthy. It also helps to keep your bonds fresh and exciting. You can be your own doctor just with a Giggle on!

Final Thoughts

If you have any task left for Monday, take out sometime from Sunday and complete your to-do list so that you get up on the next day with better mood and energy levels. Such small changes can have a big impact on your life. Not only you stay fit but also feel a lot happier than you used to be with the same old weekend routine.

So, these were my ways of turning my weekend better, what’s yours?