How is it Monday already? I mean, I know how that happens. I feel like I missed the weekend. Where did it go? You might have done a lot, we had a lot of family activities and such, including a softball double-header yesterday. You might have had the chance for some rest and relaxation. Maybe you are tired and you can’t shut your mind off to get sleep on Sunday night and you know that when the alarm goes off you may hit snooze or feel awful when the alarm goes off Monday morning.
I think sometimes we pack our schedules to the max from Monday to Friday. I will admit, I do it (a lot, okay). I always feel like when the weekend comes I’ll be able to relax, watch some Netflix, maybe even take some naps, but yet you run around the house cleaning, catching up on laundry, and find ways to keep busy on those weekends that are suppose to be relaxing.
Have you heard the phrase “all work and no play…”well, I believe that if you don’t take time to relax or play, that the long week will leave you feeling overtired and overscheduled. That ultimately leads to you questioning where the weekend went…
Everyone has their own way of managing stress and “living for the weekend.” Try not to feel pressured about making the return to work or the “grind” on Monday. Sometimes your weekend will be busy, and heck, sometimes your Monday will be busy…but don’t pressure yourself or your family to get all the things done in a short period of time.
Find ways to make the work-week or workdays less crowded. This is big for me. At times, I feel like every Monday-Friday has to be jam packed with EVERY.SINGLE.THING to do around the house, with work, with the kids, with Sam…you see where this is going…stress. Chaos. Decide what is a top priority and see what you can let go. Did you read that? Let go. Easier said than done, I know. I’m a list maker, and sometimes there are items that don’t get checked off my list…that’s okay. If you are a list maker, set small goals, or only put a few things on your list to work on through the work-week or workday.
Give yourself (and possibly your family) a mid-week break. *YES!* Give days is too long to go without having a break. Set aside something fun and relaxing that you can look forward to. Sometimes for our family it is ice cream during a weeknight or sometimes it is a meal out. If we get wild, we may even watch a movie and stay up late! This break gives us all a chance to unwind. Plus, we are having family time together (YAAAAAY). It seems when we get super busy that we forget to take time to enjoy the small things in life.
Taking a small break daily, even something as smal as going for a short walk during lunch, can give you a change of pace and scenery. Sitting at a desk all day is not fun. Feeling overwhelmed from work is not fun either. Don’t underestimate the benefits you can receive of periodically taking time to mentally and emotionally recharge and refocus. For me, getting a walk in is helpful, or going down the hallway to visit with a coworker. Even small lunch breaks in the office are helpful too. I like to listen to music while I work, playing softly, it is relaxing and catchy–because sometimes I sing (quietly) along.
Don’t stay up super late on the weekends! Man, if I had a dollar for every time my son said, “can we stay up late?” I’d be a wealthy woman. Just because you can sleep in the next morning shouldn’t mean you get to go to bed late the night before. Changing your sleep schedule can take a week to get back on track, and allowing your sleep schedule to fall apart sets you up for trouble–you are always going to be tired trying to figure out how to get the best sleep. Believe it or not, we have a sleep schedule/routine. We aren’t night owls but man if we don’t get to bed around 9:30—ouch. We are sluggish the next day and have trouble getting up. Schedules work (at times), and this bedtime routine works well for us.
Monday may get you down, but remember allowing yourself (and your family) enough time on the weekends to relax can be really helpful. Don’t pack your weekends full of all the activities, instead, try to spread them out through the week if you can. Don’t get drained (again, I know, easier said than done) by packing your weekend full of all the fun, but try to find events or activities that will leave you feeling happy, content, fulfilled and not frazzled. Even when you sit through a double-header and check the weather in case of the event of a storm…remember that those moments won’t last forever. One day the softball (baseball, whatever activity your child/children may be involved in) will end. You’ll miss it (so I am told), and your weekends will pass by rather slowly.
Memphis works hard during the week, so some weekends he gets time off. He also works hard to get treats from time to time. This photo shows his concentration and how focused he is (because he knows that treat is on Dad’s leg).