I’ve at all times cherished a weekend with minimal plans—when the times really feel open, nearly expansive, as if something may occur. (And if what must occur is a nap, I’m keen to embrace that journey.) Whereas my early twenties had been spent chasing one plan after the subsequent (fueled, if I’m trustworthy, by FOMO and an excessive amount of espresso), I’ve come to be taught that pleasure doesn’t at all times dwell within the hustle. Typically, it’s within the quietest moments: sipping my morning beverage in mattress, a stroll with no vacation spot, or a Sunday afternoon spent baking the hours away.
Now, my wholesome weekend habits prioritize three issues: connection, inspiration, and relaxation. Right here’s how I’m redefining my weekends—and the easy shifts that assist me really feel extra like myself by Monday.
Function picture by Michelle Nash.
6 Wholesome Weekend Habits to Set You Up for Success
In fact, a “wholesome” weekend doesn’t imply it’s a must to examine off a listing of wellness duties. I’ve discovered essentially the most nourishing weekends typically really feel the least productive on paper—however they depart me feeling deeply restored. It’s about tuning in relatively than attempting to optimize each hour. What does your physique want? What does your thoughts crave? Once we permit ourselves to ask these questions, our weekends change into one thing greater than only a break from work—they change into a return to ourselves.
Whether or not you’re seeking to quiet the Sunday scaries or wish to really feel extra grounded and energized by the beginning of the work week, these wholesome weekend habits are easy shifts that may make an enormous distinction. You don’t want a full calendar or a packed fitness center schedule to benefit from your time without work. Typically, essentially the most intentional selections are the smallest ones.
Forward, I’m sharing the six habits which have remodeled my weekends—and helped me step into the week forward with a clearer, calmer thoughts.
1. Begin Your Morning Slowly
Let go of the weekday rush and embrace a extra aware begin.
Weekday mornings are sometimes a blur of alarms, emails, and attempting to recollect if you happen to left the oven on (did I even flip it on?). However the weekend? That’s your likelihood to reclaim the start of your day. There’s no higher time to swap the push for ease—to linger in mattress a little bit longer, to sip your espresso whereas watching the daylight filter in, to note the quiet. These small shifts can change how the remainder of your day unfolds.
Let your self sleep in a little bit (sure, actually). Make a gradual breakfast—pancakes or toast with salty butter—and open the home windows. With out the stress to “get going,” you’re free to tune into what you want: stillness, nourishment, and possibly a second of creativity. A gradual begin isn’t lazy—it’s luxurious.
Do this: Create a weekend morning ritual. Whether or not it’s journaling, stretching, or just having fun with your espresso with out your cellphone close by, let it’s one thing that grounds you.
2. Transfer in a Approach That Feels Good
Ditch the stress to “go onerous” and tune into what your physique wants.
We’ve been conditioned to deal with exercises as one other factor to perform. However on the weekend, what if motion wasn’t about metrics—however about temper? You don’t should push your self to the restrict to really feel good. Transferring in gentler methods typically brings extra power than exhaustion.
For me, that’s typically a protracted stroll with a podcast (The Interview is my present favourite), a mild yoga session, or dancing round my kitchen whereas making lunch—one of many many advantages of work-from-home days. The most effective low-impact exercises are those that reconnect you to pleasure—whether or not it’s transferring your physique, clearing your thoughts, or just remembering what it feels wish to have enjoyable.
Do this: Ask your self, What sort of motion would really feel actually good right now? Then honor the reply. It could be a hike, or it could be nothing in any respect. Each solutions are legitimate.
3. Plan (However Don’t Over-Schedule) Your Meals
Slightly prep goes a good distance—particularly on Sunday nights.
When Sunday night time rolls round, the very last thing you need is the stress of “what’s for dinner?” That’s the place a little bit meal planning could make all of the distinction—not strict meal-prepping, however mild intention. Consider it as setting your future self up with small wins.
I wish to make a couple of wholesome staples in bulk—roasted veggies, quinoa, possibly a soup or a protein I can throw right into a salad. Not solely does it assist me really feel organized for the week, nevertheless it additionally takes the stress off Monday night time. And let’s be actual: having one thing cozy and nourishing ready within the fridge makes the entire week really feel a bit extra manageable.
Do this: There’s no higher place to begin your journey than with Camille’s straightforward meal-prep ideas.
4. Get Exterior for a Reset
Recent air can change all the pieces.
We spend a lot time indoors—glued to screens, surrounded by synthetic gentle, transferring from one activity to the subsequent. Merely stepping outdoors is usually a reset. Whether or not it’s a stroll by way of the park, sitting in your entrance porch, or heading to the farmer’s market, getting beneath the sky reminds us we’re a part of one thing larger.
Nature doesn’t should be dramatic to be impactful. Even 5 minutes of sunshine in your face or noticing the best way the wind strikes the bushes can rewire your mind in actual time. It’s one of the crucial accessible methods to really feel calmer, clearer, and extra alive.
Do this: Designate a tech-free hour outdoors. No scrolling, no emails—simply you, the recent air, and possibly a pal or an excellent ebook.
5. Make House for What Fills You Up
If it makes you are feeling extra like your self, find time for it.
It’s straightforward to let weekends change into catch-up time: laundry, errands, cleansing. But when that’s all of your weekend holds, you miss the possibility to reconnect with pleasure. Making area for the issues that fill you up—creatively, spiritually, emotionally—isn’t non-obligatory. It’s important.
Which may seem like portray, studying fiction, or catching up with somebody you like. For me, it’s returning to the small pleasures that serve no productive function however in some way depart me feeling entire once more. The purpose isn’t to examine off a activity—it’s to recollect what makes you you.
Do this: Schedule “pleasure time” the identical manner you’d schedule errands. I really like setting apart a couple of hours to get misplaced in my present hyper-fixation learn or to bake one thing for a pal. No matter it’s that lights you up, dedicate time to precisely that.
6. Mirror & Set Intentions for the Week Forward
A couple of minutes of reflection can carry you thru the week.
The tip of the weekend can deliver a form of emotional whiplash—Sunday night time rolls in and immediately you’re again in planning mode. However as a substitute of diving straight into logistics, what if you happen to started with presence? A brief second to replicate, acknowledge, and gently pivot towards the week forward.
On Sunday evenings, I attempt to pause. I gentle a candle, seize my journal, and ask a couple of easy questions: What felt good this weekend? What do I would like extra of? What do I would like much less of? It doesn’t should be deep and even notably structured—it simply helps me shift from reactive to intentional.
Do this: Spend 5 minutes writing down your high three priorities for the week, one factor you’re wanting ahead to, and a method you’ll handle your self. It’s a robust observe that helps you transition into Monday feeling aligned.
The Takeaway
The fantastic thing about wholesome weekend habits isn’t in how productive they make you—it’s in how linked they enable you really feel. To your physique, your thoughts, and your pleasure. It’s straightforward to deal with weekends like a second job, full of to-dos and stress to “benefit from it.” However the true magic occurs once we decelerate, hear in, and provides ourselves permission to relaxation, reset, and do the issues that make us really feel most alive. The only rituals—a quiet morning, a protracted stroll, a selfmade meal—could be essentially the most transformative. And once we method our weekends with intention, we step into Monday not simply prepared, however renewed.
