How To Make Your Weekends Feel Longer

Weekends never feel long enough.Whether it’s a regular two-day weekend or an extended three-day weekend (but somehow still short), leisure time goes by much faster than a weekday.

While there’s no magical way to actually extend each weekend, there are ways to utilize the downtime to make your weekends feel more fulfilling.

The weekend is more important than you think.

After a long week at work, people need time and space to relax and rejuvenate.

Any break from work, whether it’s a vacation, a weekend, or even an evening after work, is important for recovery.

Recovery is a term used by organizational psychologists to refer to the concept of replenishing resources depleted by work effort – just as athletes need to recover and rest after a hard workout.

Here, the experts share how to optimize your recovery days and make the most of your time off:

Plan out some time.

You can make the most of your weekend by planning to do some of your favorite activities.

Creating a specific schedule for the weekend can help you accomplish the activities you want to do.That way, you won’t be disappointed on Sunday night with the activities you did (or didn’t do).

Think about it: you’re more likely to go on a long ride if you rent a bike ahead of time or coordinate the ride with a friend.While planning things out probably won’t make your weekend any longer, setting things to do (things you look forward to) can make you feel like you’re maximizing your time.

There’s also another benefit to planning ahead: Creating enjoyable plans ahead of time can also give you something to look forward to during a busy work week!

Limit screen use and find a hobby.

It’s common to feel like time is flying by when you sit down to watch an hour-long program or browse Instagram.Studies have shown that people who spend a lot of time on social media experience a distorted sense of time, often wondering how time is going by so fast.

Sure, it’s okay to browse social media or watch TV on the weekends, but you should try to limit it.

Taking a break from watching TV or browsing social media is a great way to reconnect with what makes you happy on your day off.

Consider resuming pre-epidemic hobbies, such as walking or reading.Or better yet, challenge yourself to try something new.

Do activities that are different from your daily routine.

Engage in activities that utilize resources that are completely different from what you do.

In other words, if your 9-5 job is highly skilled, on weekends, you can do activities that build different skills.For example, play a musical instrument or try playing soccer.

On the other hand, if you work in the arts, you may want to try something completely different on your days off away from activities like writing or creating.That way, you won’t be reminded of work when you want to enjoy the weekend.

Put the work aside.

Make work a workday thing, not a break time thing.

It’s important to put distance between you and work on the weekends.Worrying about work wastes valuable time on weekends that could be spent with friends or family.Keeping work out of your sight and mind can make the weekend feel a little longer.

This could mean turning off your work phone, disabling your work email, or even putting your work laptop away so you don’t remember looming deadlines while curled up on the couch.

Find the balance between going out and resting.

Rest is important, but staying on the couch or in bed all weekend doesn’t help much.If you spend too much time resting throughout the weekend, time can go by really fast – when was the last time you took a nap and then woke up two hours later?

When you combine a much-needed break with an activity that you find fun or exciting, you’ll feel like you’re at the top of your game.Specifically, engaging in proficient activities and learning new things from them will help you gain more energy.

What’s more, if you find that you benefit from these activities, you’ll go to work on Monday with more energy and in a better mood thanks to a great weekend experience!

Stay in the moment.

Easier said than done, but your weekends will be more enjoyable if you focus on the present moment during your precious days off.In fact, studies have shown that some people who consistently practice positive thinking and meditation will feel like time passes more slowly.

Once you come back to the present moment, you can consciously do the things that bring you joy.

Who doesn’t want to feel happy on a leisurely weekend?