It's not that the weekend is always too short, it's that many people don't know how to rest properly. Your task is to fully recover mentally and physically in two days, and this is not as easy as it may seem. To begin with, I suggest remembering two important statements:

Even a car needs fuel and a smartphone needs a charger. It’s the same with something as complex as the human body, surely you sometimes feel guilty just lying on the couch with a book, it seems that you have to run to save the world, that without you everything would fall apart. Firstly, it probably wouldn’t and second, how can you save the world when your energy is at zero?

So don't go blaming yourself for doing nothing or sleeping until lunchtime on the weekend. Remember! You're much more effective when you're rested and recovered.

Two full weekends will boost your productivity just enough to save the world (cause that is what you do all week, right?).

To be more specific, the more things you do during the week, the more time you have to relax.

By the way, this is why my program is structured in such a way that we divide all the things we do into small steps. The more thoroughly we build a system of tidying up, the less time will be spent on cleaning.

What you can do to unload the weekend:

• Think about the menu in advance

Decide what you are going to cook, buy the necessary groceries in advance or better yet, order them with delivery. Going to the supermarket on the weekend is not a good idea, if you're used to going out for groceries as a family, consider moving this ritual to a weekday or evening when the lines aren't as long as, say, on Saturday. That way, your weekend together will get at least 2–3 hours for more enjoyable activities.

• Plan cleaning for Monday

Or another weekday or evening. I know that most families have the habit of cleaning on the weekend, but is that such a good idea? Isn't it better to clean up on weekdays, that way you allocate more spare time for the weekends. Of course, ideally you should devote about 15 minutes each day to cleaning, so you don't have to spend half of Saturday cleaning.

• Load washing machine on Thursday

If you do the laundry on Thursday night, you can iron it on Friday (while enjoying your favorite TV show). Voilà! The weekend is free for another 1–2 hours.
Along the same lines, reschedule other things you don't have to do on the weekend. Free up time to recharge your mental battery and refresh your physical energy.

• Make a written schedule

It sounds boring, but in fact it is the perfect way to use every minute of your precious weekend.

Psychology professor Art Markman, author of many books and articles in Harvard Business Review, advises focusing on what you will do during your vacation. He advises setting a goal for the vacation and treating it as responsibly as you normally treat the work goals. If you have your own plan, you're unlikely to fall for someone else's plans that you don't like.

I've prepared some ideas that you might like. The main thing is to do only what really fills you up!

Try to relax on your day off. You don't necessarily have to go to the middle of nowhere or throw your phone away. It's enough to turn off all the gadgets and TV for just one day.

Devote at least one day off for isolation from the Internet and TV, and you'll immediately feel how rested your brain and body are.

To not make anyone worried, warn your family and friends that you'll be off the grid, inform them on how to find you if they really need to. Just relax, read a book, be outdoors, have a home movie marathon, and let the world wait!

By the way, to learn more about the influence of the Internet and social networks on each of us, I advise you to watch an interesting documentary “Social dilemma”.

A day off is the perfect time for spa treatments. Even bots, need to refresh the system periodically, make an agreement with the folks at home not to bother you for a few hours, or better yet, do it together.

The first option is a good SPA. Believe me, it's not as expensive as it sounds, and the effect is indescribable! You will unload and rest emotionally and physically, be filled with energy, and feel like a renewed version of yourself. A lot of such centers have package services, which include several procedures for complete relaxation and care of the body and face. Often such packages are more profitable than paying for the procedures separately.

The second option is the home SPA. Take a bath with foam and aroma oils. Massage your feet, hands, and face (you can find self-massage techniques on YouTube). Wrap up in your favorite terrycloth robe, drink a cup of herbal tea while listening to your favorite music, or just sit in silence. Perfect!

No, I'm not going to talk you into making funny videos and sending them on TV (although that's not a bad idea!) That's what I call a cool way to spend a weekend. You want it to be cool and unforgettable, right? So, why not pretend your weekend is a movie and you're the director. Pick a genre and go for it! Here are a few options:

Art House Weekend.
People's problem is that they don't know how to slow down, and that's the only way to relax and restore all systems. Imagine yourself as a melancholy arthouse movie character whose only occupation is thinking. Go to a park, go for a walk in the city, or just stay at home. Don't rush anywhere, do everything slowly, smoothly, deliberately. Try to see and feel your surroundings, you can devote at least half an hour to looking at the leaves on the tree. Today is your day, you can afford it.

Romantic comedy weekend.
Making blue soup and drinking wine in your pajamas like Bridget Jones? Rent a house for a weekend in another city and get to know the neighbors like the characters in “Exchange Vacation”? Raid the city's coffee shops, smiling at everyone you meet and chatting with the waiters? Why not!
Go on a date with your spouse, with a stranger or even with yourself, choose what you like and follow your script.

Adventure Weekend.
If you've been wanting to pack a backpack and go on an adventure for a long time but keep putting it off, now is the time. Surely, there are beautiful places near your city where you can go camping alone or with the whole family, a forest where you can ski during the winter or ride a bike in summer. You can spend the day at a rollerdrome, water park, or a go-kart center where you race small cars. Just google your city's recreation options, invite your family and friends, and have a blast!

I hope I've convinced you that it's important to have a proper vacation, and it is not difficult to do, if you prepare and add a little imagination.


Have a good weekend!
Your Clea.