The chores at home remain undone, the deadlines at work are approaching fast, the surrounding people seem to be hell-bent on stressing you out, and the next thing you know, you’re completely burnt out from life itself. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Even the best of the best can suffer from burnout once in a while, however, that doesn’t mean you should let it happen.
To prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed by stress, here are several weekend activities that can help you curb burnout:
1. Spa day
Getting a spa day sounds cliche, but it works! Just ask anyone who had a massage, laser hair removal treatment, a mani-pedi, and a facial all in one day. Apart from rejuvenating your body, a spa day will also help clear your mind from stress and give you the opportunity for a little ‘me time’ that you so desperately need.
2. Unplugged vacation
Even if it’s just for two days in a nearby city, taking a vacation away from home is one of the best ways to prevent stress from getting to you. Whether you are going solo or taking your family with you, find a place where you can de-stress and enjoy a few days without answering phone calls, writing emails, or scrolling through your social media feeds without end.
3. Road trip
There’s just something so therapeutic about driving through back roads, listening to your favorite songs, and spending time with the people you love the most. When the workweek has drained your energy and put you on edge for days, taking a road trip with your friends or family might be just what you need to get rid of stress.
4. ‘Do-nothing-day’
You don’t necessarily need to do stuff to ease your stress. Sometimes, all you need is an entire day without obligations or expectations from anyone.
When life gets too overwhelming, take a step back and take a day off from everything. Do whatever you want for the next 24 hours. Sleep all day, binge Netflix, meditate for hours. As long as you’re de-stressing, it’s okay to be unproductive.
5. Exercise
One of the many things that a lot of 9-5 people have trouble doing on the weekdays is exercise, which is a shame because exercise is a great way to relieve stress. Fortunately, you can take the weekend as an opportunity to go to the gym, take a jog, do a workout, or any other physical activity that can get your heart rate going and your sweat flowing.
6. Cooking
When you have been busy during the week, you might not have had enough time to cook halfway decent meals. Or the past week’s menu was full of takeout and things that came out of a box. So use your free time on the weekend to cook a nice, healthy meal for yourself and your family. Cooking in and of itself can be a relaxing activity, and eating even more so especially if the food is good.
7. Hobbies
If you have a hobby that usually gets pushed to the side during weekdays, spend a few hours on it on the weekend to relieve some of your stress and give yourself a little self-satisfaction. If you don’t have a hobby, you can try finding one that you enjoy, such as photography, embroidery, painting, sports, video games, and more.
8. Quality time
Spending time with your friends and family is a healthy way to cope with stress. When you are around the people you love, you will be less likely to focus on what’s stressing you out and instead be relaxed by the presence of familiar faces and hearty laughs. So whether it’s visiting your parents in the next city or meeting your college friends for brunch, take opportunities to refill your social battery on the weekends, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
9. Therapy
Therapy is an important aspect of stress management, and if you’re always finding yourself overwhelmed by life in general, going to a therapist once a week can help you better manage your stress. A therapist can help you acknowledge your negative feelings, understand why you’re going through them, and find healthy coping mechanisms to better manage your stress.
Getting burnt out by school, work, family obligations, and life, in general, is never fun, especially when you have no other choice but to endure it. To avoid getting overwhelmed by stress, do these activities on your days off and take the time to find more healthy stress management strategies. You’ll find that your work-life balance will be better off if you do, as well as your physical and mental health.
Do you have more anti-burnout tips to share with us? Leave them in the comments below!
