10 Productive things to do on weekend
Weekends are the most awaited by many of us dealing with a busy life to relax and spend lazy time. Only to feel the Monday blues and the busy life chaos again. But what if I tell you weekends need not just be lazy but there are some productive things to do on weekends to manage a busy weekday? And when planned well it is not just being productive at the weekend but also giving yourself time to relax and rejuvenate mindfully rather than just spending lazy time on the couch.
Wondering how to have a productive weekend. I’m sharing with you things to do on weekends to manage busy weekdays so you no more have chaotic weekdays.
Wave goodbye to the struggle, because I’m going to share with you things that will
• Make you ready for the coming week
• Help you manage busy weekdays with ease
• rejuvenate and spend quality time at the weekend
Let’s look at how it’s done …
How to have a productive weekend
I have always been a planning nerd and weekends feel like a perfect opportunity to plan for the week ahead and catch back on things that are missed.
However, I realized I use to over-plan things to do on weekends and eventually burn out and feel frustrated on Sunday evening for working the entire weekend without fun.
But now after some experience, I have built a perfect routine with productive things to do on weekends to manage a busy week ahead without feeling burnout and taking care of myself too.
These 10 productive things to do on the weekend to manage a busy week has made a great difference in my life and made busy weeks pass smoothly.
I am very sure they will make a very positive contribution to managing your busy weekdays too.
Why you should be productive at the weekend?
- Most often we spend time on the weekend being lazy.
- There is a popular belief to spend Sunday waking up late in the morning and have a lazy day binge-watching.
- Although there is no big problem in spending a lazy Sunday, it eventually leads to Monday blues and a hectic week ahead to deal with without an action plan.
Benefits of productive weekends
- You are prepared ahead of the coming days.
- Makes you more confident at work and in life.
- Reduce the possibility of missing important things both at work as well as at home.
- Get more done in less time.
- Reduce work-life friction and create a balance.
- Reduce overwhelm, chaos, and anxiety to deal with many things in the coming weekday.
- Ensure your personal life and health are not ignored with busy weekdays.
10 productive things to do on the weekend to manage a busy week
These are 10 productive things to do on the weekend to manage a busy week and to make you ace the week ahead like a pro. Let’s get deep into it.
1) Review your week
Take time at the weekend to review your week. Reflection on the week gives clarity to the mind of the things that are achieved during the week and also helps you keep a tab over things that were not accomplished and can be planned in the coming week.
Don’t restrict the week’s review to work and a to-do list. But also review your progress towards personal goals, habits you are working on, the quality of sleep and diet, etc.
Reflection at the weekend not only just recaps the entire week but also helps identify the gaps that can be addressed in the coming week’s plan.
For the week you were just too busy and have lost control of chores at home and things at work, it may be difficult but How to get household back on track after busy times and Steps to reset your work-life after busy times
2) Plan the coming week
For a productive week, it is very essential that you plan your week in advance. Have a look at the calendar for the coming week and plan your days accordingly.
Make sure to consider personal commitments also while planning the week. This may include a birthday celebration, your kids meeting at school, or a doctor’s appointment. Even the smallest things need to be included bcoz once the crazy busy week hits you are gonna forget things.
I even include in the plan if I need to make a phone call to wish someone for birthday or anniversary. I remember these forever and just forget on the day. Pls. tell me I am not the only one.
Make a thorough “To-Do List” that includes each and everything that needs to be done in the week. If possible you can assign days to each task.
I personally like to make my professional To-Do list on Monday morning for two reasons, I don’t want to think about work on weekends (trust me working very hard on it) and secondly, If I do I will be spending more time on it and lose my weekend.
Here is the planning system that I use monthly, weekly, and daily planning.
Google Sheet Work and Schedule Planner
$10
With this schedule planner, you get a Monthly planner, weekly planner, and a To-do list to help you plan, and track your work easily.
- Monthly Planning: Plan your month, week, and day with ease. Just add the task and date it will show you the task in the monthly calendar.
- Monthly Goal planning: Plan your monthly goals and track the % completion
- Weekly Planning: Plan your week with a weekly routine or weekly appointment for every hour.
- Daily Task Planner: Plan daily tasks, see automatic task status in 1 glance chart.
- Prioritize Like a Pro: The Daily Planner helps you prioritize tasks, ensuring you focus on what truly matters.
- Check the demo video here
Pro Tip
Stick the plan to the fridge or some corner of the living room for easy accessibility and for the reference of all family members.
P.S. You may like to read my post on Weekly planning secrets for work life balance to plan your week.
3) Meal Planning and Preparation
The most common and most important thing to do on the weekend is meal planning and meal preparation.
With busy weekdays nobody has the time to think about meals to cook the simple question of what to cook also sounds most difficult. Also without preparation, you will be spending much more time cooking than required. This eventually makes eating out easier.
But by spending some time at the weekend over meal planning and preparation you will be able to serve healthy meals for your family and also save money.
Chart out all the meals of the day for the entire week and do some basic preparation like chopping vegetables or boiling beans.
I would suggest not spending a lot of time on preparation as during the weekdays you will still be spending some time cooking and you will have very little time left for yourself at the weekend.
I used to spend a lot of time making perfect meal preparations only to feel frustrated with no time to rest and enjoy the weekend. So now I just do meal planning using Google Sheet Meal Planner it has an automated grocery list.
I recommend getting groceries on your last weekday so that you have them available with you over the weekend to start with meal preparation early.
Google Sheet Meal Planner and Automated Grocery List
$8
You get a monthly meal planning sheet and an automated grocery list.
- Monthly Meal Planning Calendar view
- Weekly Split to allow weekly meal planning and grocery list.
- Automated Weekly and monthly Grocery shopping Lists generated.
- Dropdown to select your meals
- Make your Meal Planning Database and use it forever.
- Save time and money with this automated sheet.
- Check the demo video here
4) Set your clothes for the week ahead
The last thing you want during weekdays is to search for your pant or socks and get up late in the morning or feel inappropriately dressed for an important meeting.
Keep your entire week’s clothes along with the accessories, inners, etc for the respective day set aside and ready to wear in your closet.
You can do the same for your kids too.
It will save you time making decisions in the morning and help you look presentable at work.
5) Get Organized
Just give a quick organization to the entire house to make sure all the things are in place. We all end up with a messy house by the weekend. Spending some time to keep things back in the right place will not make you lose time searching for things on weekdays.
You should also use the opportunity of extra time on weekends to organize your life and improve your lifestyle. Organizing life is a big project and spending some time over it on weekends is totally worth it. You should read my post on How to organize your life and make it better for detailed steps to begin your life organization journey.
P.S You may like to read my post on quick house reset on weekends if you are overwhelmed with mess around the home and what to deal with it at weekends
6) Tackle the laundry
How much ever you try to keep up your pace with laundry, you always lag behind with it. Weekends are to make peace with it.
Get all your laundry backlog at the track on weekends.
For an easy week ahead it is good to have all the clothes cleanout.
I do it first thing in the morning on weekends so that other work can be in parallel while washing is on and save folding clothes for TV time.
After spending around half the weekend over preparation here comes the fun part.
7) Take a Nap
After working on the preparations for the coming week, you deserve some rest.
Also, you may have some catch-up on sleep debts from the week. A study suggests that weekend naps can compensate for weekday sleep loss.
I like to get up early even on weekends and rather take a nap to compensate for the sleep, also I try to finish all the work before a nap, this way I am not anxious about the things to do and I know post-nap is my fun time.
8) Plan fun on Sunday evening
Plan some fun and exciting things for a weekend evening, It feels like a reward for the entire week of hard work at the same time gives you some zeal to face the new week ahead.
Based on your liking you can either plan fun things at home or plan to outdoors with friends. Use the time to bond with your partner, kids and spend quality time with them. A fun evening need not be expensive, be creative and fill your evening with fun and laughter. Better build your own Sunday tradition.
9) Spend time on personal grooming or self-care
Personal grooming is not just essential for hygiene but it also contributes to your personality and confidence at the workplace. With busy days during the week, it is difficult to find time for personal grooming. Use weekends for basic personal grooming like nail care, attending your beard, skincare, etc. You can also spend some time on self-care to rejuvenate yourself. If you have a time crunch try simple self-care ideas
10) Catch up on hobbies
Most of us have interests to pursue but lack time, try to use the weekend to catch up on hobbies. It’s a very productive way to spend weekends. Hobbies are proven to reduce stress and also help you build skills contributing to self-improvement.
Conclusion
Sundays are mostly spent lazy over unpurposeful activities in the name of recreation or rejuvenation. When Monday arrives we feel the Monday blues and the busy week kicks in leading. But when weekends are used productively to plan the week ahead and rejuvenate by spending quality time with yourselves and your loved ones you will be able to spend your weekend meaningfully and also will be able to manage a busy week like a pro. The 10 productive things to do on the weekend to manage a busy week shared in this article will definitely help you achieve this.
Make sure not to over plan work and stress out. Rather be realistic with your expectation and ensure you spend some time for relaxation and fun.
If you are someone who is struggling with managing busy life make sure to read How to manage your busy life effectively.
Don’t forget to get your weekly planner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Article You May Like
5 step system to help you relax and unwind after a busy day
