Remember the feel of vacation? It’s a never-ending weekend! Remember the freedom and ease that follows every decision? I want that sensation to last for us forever. But, when we get home, real life obligations crowd in. The feel of the never-ending weekend begins to fade. We become stressed, overworked and under-slept. But what if we could get that weekend feeling to last all week?
We just got back from Huntington Beach, California, surfer central USA. What an amazing place. The surfer vibe is alive and real there!! I really wanted to bottle up that feeling and take it home with me.
Every local we met was laid-back, personable, and full of smiles. Josh and I walked a lot and our favourite part was walking through the neighbourhoods behind the main streets. The further we went, the more magnificent the gardens and the more people we passed in their yards. Everyone was so easy-going! We could hear chatter over BBQs, lots of laughter, and kids playing. A group of teens passed us with surfboards to go for an afternoon surf, chatting and joking with each other. (How cool would it be to have that as an after-school hobby?!) One little boy hung over his balcony to ask Josh about the bike race going by. We felt a part of the community and we were tourists!
I want to take the things I love doing on the weekend, the things that make me smile, and sprinkle them throughout the week.
Life was easy there- breezy and beautiful. Only there for 3 days, we felt we had all the time in the world. On our free day (the only sunny day!), we played in the waves until we were hungry, walked into town to get tacos, and then walked around the neighbourhoods. We reveled in the sight of the local gardens and the sound of happy conversation- Josh and I both felt more relaxed than we had in a long time. More importantly, we didn’t feel the need to rush from task to task. Taking our time, we took in the sights and the smells, not thinking about what was next or checking our phones. It definitely felt like a never-ending weekend while we visited Huntington Beach.
But it did end, as all things do, and we came home to work and bills and kids and rushing to after-school activities. I’ve decided I want life to move slower for us, and, if it can’t, to at least treat ourselves to a bit of the weekend during the week.
I think it’s important that we figure out how to make that feeling last. Not all of us work during the week and hang out on weekends, but if we keep that weekend vibe going, it doesn’t matter if we have split-up days off or our “weekend” on Tuesday to Wednesday. My mom, for example, works shift work at a nursing home. She often has one day off, then three on, and then another day off… or will have two days during the week off. It can be crazy trying to balance it out!
Even as a 9-to-5 Monday to Friday worker, we can find ourselves trudging through the workweek, waiting impatiently for our weekend, only to see it zoom by. But, if we find out what creates that weekend relaxation, we don’t have to sit around pining for our weekend, wherever those days fall.
It doesn’t have to be big, all day things to make me relax and feel more centered.
It’s the little things.
What’s my perfect weekend? It depends on my mood, but it would be one of two experiences:
- When I am feeling social, I really like connecting with my kids and husband on the weekend. (Often, our weekend gets filled up very quickly, which is fine, too, but my ideal weekend we get to set our own schedule). I love the weekends where we get out for a stroll to a favourite park or spot and hang out. One time we went to a local school playground to find that basketballs and soccer balls had been left out. Josh and Hunter kicked a ball around and Izzy and I shot hoops. It was very relaxing. In the afternoon or evening, we hang out at home, with a board game or movie and good snacks. After a good meal and some reading time, we all tuck into bed- recharged and ready for the week.
- If I am feeling a bit “peopled out”, I need recharge time. I usually take a Barre class on Saturday mornings, which may sound too “peopley”, but it helps me recharge. I duck into the class, sweat my butt off, and duck out, without having to really interact with anything but my muscles. In fact, I have been needing a new comfy bra to get me through those barre classes, and I’ve been eyeing up True & Co’s Weekend Collection, particularly their racerback bras. I’ve heard they’re comfy AF and that you can even wear them from the workout class to errands or brunch. I can’t wait to try them. Anyone have feedback on those? They all look great, it’s hard to decide. After my barre class, I head home for me-time! I let Josh know I need to regroup and he takes the kids to the park or plays a board game with them. I have a shower with my favourite soaps for some aromatherapy and climb into some soft, loose clothing. My favourite place is our bed, where I can curl up to write, journal, read, crochet, or listen to music and craft. Lately, reading is my passion since I do so much writing during the week. (Eventually I would like to get back into poetry and creative writing). Some days, I just come home from my morning class and spend two hours in the bath: there, I can read uninterrupted, meditate, or just slip in to my thoughts. A lot of my best ideas come to me in the bath! What about you?
I don’t know why I keep thinking these things are exclusive to the weekend! Why do I rush to my workout class after a workday, only to rush home and do busy-work? Instead, I could designate one day a week to go to class and come home to a bubble bath! Treat yo-self, amiright? Maybe I could even put on a face mask while I am in there- or I could just do the face mask part! It doesn’t have to be big, all day things to make me relax and feel more centered. It’s the little things.
I want to take the things I love doing on the weekend, the things that make me smile, and sprinkle them throughout the week. I want long strolls after dinner with the family. Aromatherapy showers every morning. Slowly eating the evening meal with each other, talking and enjoying each other’s company. Board games when the kids go to bed instead of TV time. Alone time in my room after work; reading a funny book, doodling, or journaling. More luxurious bubble baths, more sports outside with the kids, more crochet time while I listen to my husband’s stories of his day. I want more sitting time, listening time, comfy clothing time.
And I know you want them, too. So, let’s push pause on work stuff, paying bills, and parental obligations, even if just for an hour a day. Let’s push play on the “never-ending weekend” and embrace vacation vibes, all year round, 24/7.
Let me know in the comments what you do on your “ideal weekend” or what you WOULD do. Is it a pajama day? Yoga and brunch with friends? An intense hike or reading in a candlelit bubble bath? Meal-prepping Sunday like Cameron Diaz?
How do you practice self-care on the weekends? How could you do that during the week?
*This post has some unpaid sponsored content but all opinions are my own*
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