How to Make the Most of Your Extended Weekend

There is nothing quite as exciting as the prospect of an extended weekend after months of exerting yourself to meet deadlines and get ahead.

An extra day or two of relaxation can seem like the one blessing you truly need to recalibrate and revitalize yourself – but when the weekend comes, you find yourself unsure of how to spend your newly acquired free time.

When you don’t take the time to make a plan for your long weekend, you run the risk of doing little more than vegging out in front of the TV for nearly 72 hours. While there’s nothing wrong with a little Netflix binge now and then, it would be a shame to waste a long weekend on the fictional adventures of others.

It’s time to create your own adventure!

Time for a Staycation

You don’t have to leave town to feel like you’re on a vacation – in fact, you can have just as much fun pampering yourself at home. Stock up on exotic supplies, like tiny toiletries and ingredients for colorful tiki drinks, rent a tropical movie and order fusion take out.

Or, explore parts of your city that you’ve never seen before, like local museums or art galleries. There is plenty of affordable fun to be had if you just use your imagination.

Check out our guide to your next staycation right here.

Project Productivity

If you’re feeling particularly motivated, this can be an excellent time to plan for future projects or activities. Have you been planning an actual vacation? Maybe you’ve been thinking of starting a new business or taking your career in a new direction. T

ake your long weekend to plan it out – bust out the notebooks, planners, post-its and markers, and go to town with your ideas. You might stumble across an idea that would not have otherwise manifested.

Social Scenery

Plan an online party or a small gathering and reconnect with your friends and loved ones.

There may be an online event in town that everyone can attend, or you might just have a group video chat to watch movies, play games, and listen to music. You certainly don’t have to spend a lot of money to have fun, break out your board games and pop some popcorn, or make it a B.Y.O.B. themed party. Costume parties are rarely ever boring.

Unwind & Unplug

Take the weekend to say “no” to social media and technology.

Put your cell phone in the nightstand and go outside for an uninterrupted walk in nature or clean the dust off of your favorite novel. Spending time away from the distractions of the internet and streaming services can help you reconnect with your spirit, revitalizing your sense of self. 

Taking a break from social media can also help manage the stresses involved with presenting your life to the internet.

Vision Boards

Free time is great for visualizing – a key ingredient for manifesting what you want in life. Creating a vision board is both a fun and useful way to spend your time, as we can’t possibly get what we desire if we don’t narrow down and specify our desires. 

Take the long weekend to really fantasize about and map out your dream life, imagining each and every situation you’d like to experience in life. Get a big piece of poster board, a couple of magazines, and some markers and paints and just go wild with all of your feelings and wants.

Not sure where to start? We’ll get you started with our how-to guide to vision-boarding.

Take Some Time to Indulge

You probably have a guilty pleasure or two that you don’t really get to indulge in your daily life, like playing video games or browsing the internet.

While you don’t want to waste your entire weekend, you deserve to take a few hours participating in activities that you truly enjoy. Put your feet up and give yourself permission to experience your favorite indulgent activity.

Work Ahead

If you find the motivation, this would also be a great time to get some work done before going back into the office. While this might seem like a chore, you’ll find your upcoming work week easier to manage, and you’ll thank yourself for putting in the extra hours.

Celebrate Yourself

No matter how you choose to spend your extended weekend, make sure to do something that celebrates you and your unique talents and contributions. You deserve to feel appreciated, and that starts with you.

Remind yourself that self-care is necessary and that you are worth taking care of.

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