Does anyone else get to Friday afternoon and feel like their brain is going to implode? Between work, school runs, after-school clubs, housework, and everything else, most mums don’t stop for a breath all week.
The weekend can’t come soon enough, especially when you work 5 days a week, but I sometimes feel that it gets off to a stressful start after such a hectic week.
If you feel the same when Friday afternoon finally arrives, here are 7 ways to de-stress your weekend…
Have a lie in
Those of you with very small children will be laughing at me right now, wondering what planet I’m on if I think mums get a lie in. Right?
I love my bed so not having lie-ins when Little H was a baby was hell. As she got a bit bigger though we made sure we took it in turns to stay in bed on the weekend. Now, at 7, she goes off to watch TV as soon as she gets up so we both get to snooze.
A lazy morning is a perfect way to de-stress after a really busy week and recharge your batteries.
Unplug
Ok so probably not realistic that you’ll turn your phone off or not log into your social media accounts for the whole weekend – I know I couldn’t do it!
However, a few years phone or social media free can help you to feel much calmer.
If you can’t do either of those, at least make sure you’ve turned off your work emails for the weekend!
Clean / Declutter
If I’m stressed or angry then taking it out on the house definitely works. An hour spent hoovering and scrubbing helps to let out any stress.
I find that a messy and cluttered house stresses me out even more, so putting things away or throwing out anything that’s been hanging around for a while makes me feel more chilled out.
If you don’t have much time for cleaning over the weekend, check out these housekeeping hacks.
Get outdoors
After being cooped up in offices all week, we always make sure that we get out and about at the weekend. We drive each other crazy if we’re in the house all day, listening to Little H complain she’s bored.
It doesn’t have to cost money, just getting some fresh air helps. My favourite place to go is the beach, the sea air and the sound of waves instantly improves my mood.
Don’t think about work
Whatever’s going on at work, try to switch off completely at the weekend and not think about what’s going to be waiting for you on Monday morning. Easier said than done if you have a big project on, but unless you’re actually working over the weekend you can’t do anything about it.
Exercise
Not something that’s usually part of my weekend plans but we all know that exercise helps you to feel less stressed.
If you don’t have a gym membership, or only have 10 minutes to spare, try some of my exercise routine suggestions for busy mums. If you have time you can also get the family involved.
Have a productive Sunday night
To avoid as much stress as possible next week, plan your Sunday evening properly. Get as much preparation done for the week ahead as possible to cut down on the rushing and last minute stresses.
Getting organised in advance will help make your mornings run smoother which in turn helps you have a less stressy start to the day.
Do you feel burnt out by the end of the week? I hope these tips will help you to have a more relaxing weekend. If you have any other suggestions to de-stress your weekend, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
