There’s nothing quite like that feeling of finally being finished with an exhausting week of work. After spending five days dealing with the stress, pressure, and effort of your job, you deserve some relaxation. However, it isn’t always easy to let yourself truly relax and eject all that tension from your mind and body. Learning how to really enjoy your days off and recharge your figurative batteries can take some time and effort, but it’s certainly a worthwhile pursuit.
A big part of relaxing is choosing the right activities to help you wind down. Every person is different, and what works well to de-stress one person may not do the trick for someone else. There are definitely some tried-and-true relaxation methods, though, and if you’re looking to kick back and clear your mind this weekend, it’s worth giving a couple of them a try. Keep in mind that relaxing regularly is important for your physical and mental health. If you don’t give yourself breaks now and then, the unrelieved stress can lead to a variety of health issues down the road.
- Food and Beverages to Relax With
Sometimes, something as simple as a delicious meal or a tasty beverage is all it takes to let all the anxiety and tension of the work week fade away. Making it to the weekend is no small feat, especially if you have a difficult job. Consider rewarding yourself with a real treat, like a great dinner from your favorite restaurant or a decadent dessert. For example, what could be better for relieving stress than putting your feet up and enjoying a juicy steak or a hot fudge sundae? Choosing the right beverage can also help you wind down after a long week. Thankfully, companies are now innovating craft beverages without alcohol, offering a variety of delicious alcohol-free beers and wines.
If you aren’t a fan of alcohol or have kids you need to care for, then getting buzzed won’t be an appealing way to relax. That doesn’t mean you need to miss out on all those delicious wines and brews. One great option is to spice up your weekend with the crisp, fruity flavor of an ice-cold, non-alcoholic sangria. If you’d prefer a beverage that’s teeming with effervescent bubbles, then non-alcoholic rosé would be an excellent choice. Maybe your ideal weekend involves kicking back with a frosty, robust Irish beer, in which case you can’t go wrong with a non-alcoholic stout.
- Activities to Enjoy With the Kids
If you have children, you might not have many opportunities to truly relax on the weekend. After all, the kids probably won’t want to just sit at home or find ways to entertain themselves. That’s OK, though, because enjoying a fun activity or two with the family is also a great way to de-stress and refresh yourself.
There are lots of awesome things that you can do with the kids on any given weekend. If the weather’s nice, why not take the whole family for a pleasant day at the park? You could enjoy a relaxing picnic, throw a ball around, or play fetch with the family dog. If it’s cold or rainy out, on the other hand, you could go see a movie, explore a local museum, or spend the day at home playing board games or working on a recreational project.
The possibilities are truly endless, and there’s no reason that you and the little ones can’t have a blast spending the weekend together. Then, when Monday comes back around, the quality time you spent with your family will have you feeling rejuvenated.
- Relaxing With a Good Book
If you’re really burnt out from a stressful workweek, you probably won’t want to exert too much energy over the weekend. If that’s the case, digging into a good book is a wonderful way to unwind and recharge. Any avid reader will attest to how pleasurable reading can be when you find a book, series, or author that you truly connect with. Reading is also a calming activity that you can get lost in for hours at a time.
It’s also worth noting that reading regularly offers some excellent benefits for your brain and mental health. If you make reading a consistent part of your relaxation routine, you can increase your brain connectivity, improve your vocabulary, and even become more capable of empathy. These are just a few of the many positive effects that regular reading can have on your life.
- Going for a Peaceful Drive
Some weekends, you may feel like getting out of the house but be too tired to engage in any significant activities. When you’re in that sort of head space, taking a relaxing drive could be the perfect happy medium. If you avoid any congested areas, cruising in your vehicle can be a pleasant way to pass the time.
One great option is to pick a nice destination, such as a park with a pretty view, and leisurely make your way there and back. While you’re driving, you could listen to your favorite music, put on an interesting podcast, or simply enjoy the silence. Alternatively, you could take your significant other or the whole family with you and enjoy each other’s company out on the road.
Find Your Preferred Relaxation Method
While all of these ideas are fantastic ways to relax and de-stress, what really matters is that you find the activities that suit your personality and preferences. Regardless of how you choose to unwind, you can always improve the experience with a good book, quality time with loved ones, and the experience of sipping on a delicious beer or wine without the hangover. Share your preferred relaxation methods with us below!
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