What is it about weekends that makes the time just fly by? That is literally the stupidest question that I ask myself every single weekend. Let’s start with Friday night. I am so tired that I’m usually in bed by 9pm. That is the beginning of the accelerated time warp because I don’t do much of anything except watch a movie or a my favorite TV show and dose off into la-la land.
Then comes supersaturated Saturdays! Are you ready for this? Cleaning, laundry, marking, lesson plans, groceries and cooking up the latest batch of oh so yummy chocolate chip cookies. Saturday night- yup, you guessed it. I’m exhausted and in bed by 10pm. If I’m lucky, I’ll read a bit before falling asleep or on the rare occasion, sit through an entire movie with my family without watching the back of my eyelids.
And then Sundays. For some of us, we are busy driving our kids around or finishing up some last minute shopping to get the week ready. You see, that’s the thing. We rush around endlessly during the week, working our butts off but the weekend isn’t any better! We’re busy with meal preparations and making sure that everyone in the household is ready for another crazy week.
This is where the Sunday blahs come swooping in. It starts the moment I wake up. It’s that dreaded feeling that I have one more day to get everything I need done and hope that I get some fun into my weekend before it’s gone. Oh boy. That’s a challenge when you work 55 -60 plus hours a week!
So how does a full-time professional, mom, wife and everything in between kick the Sunday blahs? Here are a few tips:
1- Get up early. Time is your greatest friend on Sundays. Get your work tasks out of the way right away. Do not get off that chair until they are all done. Grading papers, planning, emails, everything. Reward yourself afterwards with Nutella on toast or a warm drink that you find comforting.
2- Make plans for the afternoon. Call a friend or go somewhere with a family member. Get out of your house for a few hours. Live a normal life that does not involve school or work tasks. Have some fun! (I do have to remind myself of the meaning of this word sometimes.)
3- Make a date with yourself. After your afternoon activity, have a plan in place for yourself. Is it to go out for a run? Read a book just for enjoyment or to cuddle with up and binge watch something on Netflix.
4- Write out your goals for the week. This is a great motivator because you will begin the week focused and with purpose. I use a planner for fitness goals, work stuff, etc.
5- Monday motivator! What are you looking forward to on Monday? Make sure that you have something to help you get out of bed Monday morning. Maybe it’s a new book that you’ll begin reading that evening or something you look forward to savouring in your lunch! Maybe you don’t have any recess supervision that day or you plan to go have a coffee with a friend. It doesn’t need to be huge. Just a little something to make that Sunday night a little less daunting and help you look forward to (even if it’s just a little) your work week ahead.