How to Have More Restful Weekends

Saturdays and Sundays make up more than 100 days out of each year, so it's well worth your time to figure out how to make weekends more restful and enjoyable! Whatever your season of life—whether you have kids or are an empty nester, single or married, work full time or care for kids during the week—there's a way to set your weekends apart and make them something you look forward to. 

Here are nine of our favorite ways to have a more restful weekend!

1. Uncover what matters.

What makes a weekend feel good to you? What are the 2-3 things that, if they happen, make a weekend feel like a success? Maybe it's going for a run or calling your mom, meeting up with friends or getting out in nature, making a meal from scratch or going out to eat. Whatever it is for you, spend a few minutes dreaming about what makes a weekend great—and then narrow the list down to your top 2-3 things. 

Bonus: make a list for the top 2-3 things you'd love to do "every weekend," "once a month," and "a few times a year."

2. Problem solve pain points.

On the flip side, what makes a weekend feel like a drag? What about your weekends leaves you frustrated, overwhelmed, or feeling stuck? Jot down a list of those things, too, and spend a few more minutes brainstorming potential solutions to the challenges. 

Almost every problem is solvable with a little creativity and flexibility. Choose just 1-2 pain points to start and make the problem as small as possible—it's easier to find solutions that way! 

For example, for years our family met up with friends at the playground after school on Friday, a tradition we loved—but it made for a tight timetable to get everyone home, dinner made and eaten, and the kids ready for movie night at a reasonable time. A few years ago, we declared Friday night takeout night, and ever since we've been able to enjoy two of our favorite traditions and an intentional night off from cooking.

3. Make a (loose) plan.

If you're anything like my family, without a plan, the default is often doing nothing—and that can leave us feeling grouchy, disappointed, frustrated, and like we wasted a weekend. 

Even if the plan is loose or unstructured, it's still helpful to have a sketch of what's happening on each day so that everyone knows what to expect. That way, even if you're lazing around, you can rest easy knowing you're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing! :) 

Knowing the plan can help kids flow more easily from one activity to the next. Plus, knowing the plan in advance gives you the feel-good boost of getting to anticipate and look forward to the fun to come!  

4. Get strategic about chores.

Sometimes, weekends don't feel very restful because normal life just keeps marching on: dishes, laundry, and chores are all waiting in the wings. 

While chores are a fact of life for many of us, there are so many ways to make them feel like a lighter lift on the weekend:

• One family I know eats off paper plates on Saturday, their Sabbath, to minimize dishes.
• Another friend ticks off chores throughout the week so that the burden doesn't fall on the weekend: laundry on Mondays, vacuuming on Tuesdays, etc.
• Yet another friend gets the whole family involved and sets a timer for one hour first thing on Saturday. Mom, Dad, and kids work together to get as much as they can done and then call it good for a week. Everyone's motivated to work efficiently because they know there's fun to be had as soon as they're done!

As for my family? I'd say our main strategy in this season has been to lower our standards :) We're grateful to be able to hire a cleaning crew who comes once a month. We have a robot vacuum that makes a sweep of our downstairs each night, and in between we wipe counters and tidy as we're able. Our relaxed standards give us so much time back for living, and as two working parents, that's invaluable!

5. Bookend your weekend

Spend some time thinking about how you can open and close your weekends well. Whatever you choose doesn't have to be fancy, but it should be intentional—and fit with what matters to you.

Perhaps you start strong on Friday with a family movie night, happy hour with friends, a special dessert with your partner, or 30 minutes of a read aloud. And on Sunday, consider an afternoon hike, inviting friends over for dinner or s'mores, a family game night, or a long soak in the tub.

If you're susceptible to the Sunday scaries, a simple weekend reset might be just the antidote. Many gals like to do their routine on Sunday afternoon or evening, but completing yours on Friday might help you take off the pressure before the weekend even starts. A weekend reset might include:

• Looking ahead in your calendar
• Scheduling habits and action steps for the week ahead
• Confirming appointments or carpool arrangements
• Tidying living spaces or surfaces
• Taking out the trash
• Making lunches for the week ahead
• Making plans for the following weekend

For more on weekend resets, see this blog post!

6. Plan to unplug

Though sometimes uncomfortable at first, disconnecting from technology can be one of the most restful elements of a weekend. Whether you unplug for one hour, 24 hours, or the entire weekend—and whether unplugging means avoiding social media or turning off your phone completely—make a plan and then form up some habits to help you stick to it. 

Something that's been helpful in our home: the Brick, a simple device that removes distractions from your phone with one tap. 

For more on what to replace scrolling sessions with, see this blog post!

7. Embrace your season

One of my keys to happiness: realistic expectations. 

When my expectations are set appropriately, it's easy to be satisfied—or even delighted! When they're unreasonable, it's easy to be disappointed. This holds for almost every area of life, and certainly for weekends. 

If you have a four-year-old, it might not be realistic to expect a complaint-free 5-mile hike. If you have little kids, it might not be realistic to have uninterrupted hours to work on a project or read a book. 

Instead, make plans that acknowledge and embrace the season you're in. This doesn't mean catering to your kids and bending to their wishes at every turn, but it does mean setting everyone up for success in the activities you choose and the expectations you carry.

And as best you're able, include your kids in the things you love and the things you have to do. Kids often LOVE to help with tasks around the house—if you're willing to go a little slower and let them tag along.

8. Indulge in something you love

While the weekend as a whole should be ordered to help the family thrive, we're firm believers that everyone—and especially you, the mom (and likely chief magic maker and household manager)—should have a bit of the weekend that's just for them.

Whether it's watching an episode of a show and painting your nails, going to a barre class or for an evening walk, sleeping in or reading in bed, calling a friend or taking a nap, choose at least one thing each weekend that feels like a treat and name it as such. And then enjoy it! If you have a partner, communicate in advance and protect this time for each other.

9. Rest

The original intent of weekends was to rest, so even in the midst of the fun adventures and exciting projects, take time to slow down. Whether it's literal rest—sleeping in late, going to bed early, skipping a workout, taking a nap—or soul rest—reading, journaling, praying, walking in silence—proactively build it into the plan for the weekend.

We'd love to hear from you, friends! What makes your weekends restful? What makes a weekend "good" for you?