Weekends are supposed to be for resting, but somehow they end up being a blur of errands, half-done chores, and catching up on everything that got ignored during the week. Before anyone knows it, Sunday night rolls around, and that so-called break feels more draining than refreshing.
So, how do you make a weekend at home actually feel like a reset button instead of a to-do list in disguise? It starts with letting go of the need to “make the most of it” and focusing instead on what makes the mind and body feel good. Really, you don’t always need to go on a trip for it. It’s really about the kind of good that lingers into Monday.
Whenever I’m at home for an entire weekend, I really try to make the most of it. These days, those weekends are getting few and far between (trust me, I’m not complaining. I adore the travel journalist lifestyle), so making the most of them is precious to me. Here are some tips to allow you to take time for yourself and make the most of your leisurely weekends, too.
Feel Rejuvenated During a Weekend at Home – Do Less, But Make It Count
Okay, so this is not about creating a Pinterest-perfect weekend. Nothing to show off on TikTok either. No need for an elaborate self-care ritual or a productivity sprint. The goal is to strip things back to what feels good. Sleeping in without guilt. Making a slow breakfast that takes longer than it should. Listening to music without multitasking. The smallest things hit differently when the pressure is off.
But really, even a simple change like turning off phone notifications for a few hours can help. The brain craves quiet more than it lets on, especially after a week of constant noise and screens. A little boredom is good for the soul.
Feel Rejuvenated During a Weekend at Home – Let Comfort Lead
Now here’s something you really need to understand: rejuvenation does not require a spa day. It can be wearing your comfiest clothes and rotating between the couch and the kitchen. Light your favorite candle. Open the windows. Do a long shower with all the nice products you forgot you had. Stretch your body without turning it into a full workout. It is not laziness, it is maintenance.
This is also a great time to bring in whatever helps the body truly exhale. Yes, this is absolutely serious! Maybe it can be something like a warm cup of something that is not coffee (like tea or hot chocolate). Maybe a comfort show that does not require emotional commitment.
Even something like a few THC CBD gummies can help melt some of that tightly held stress and get the body into a calm, mellow state that actually feels like rest. But of course, smaller things like a bubble bath and a small spa treatment in the bathroom can work too.
Feel Rejuvenated During a Weekend at Home – Shift the Pace
Okay, so the whole point of a reset is to change the rhythm. If the week is fast, the weekend should feel slow. So just lean into the stuff that makes time feel spacious. Reading a book that has been half-finished for months. Making something from scratch, not because it is quicker or better, but because it just feels nice to do. But putting on music from another decade and letting that become the soundtrack of the day.
But yeah, even movement is good too, but only if it feels joyful. A long walk without a destination. Actually, even dancing in the kitchen while waiting for water to boil. The kind of movement that reconnects the body to itself instead of draining it even more.