My Weekend Routine

My weekend routine has evolved over the years. I used to struggled to find opportunities to refresh myself for the week ahead. Finding a balance between productivity and rest was such a challenge. Two years ago I made the decision to really start investing in self-care on the weekend while still pursuing productivity and efficacy.

Today’s article shares ways I’ve found to maximize the weekend hours with productivity while also leaning into to the idea of rest and self-care.

Weekend Ebb and Flow

My ebb and flow of the weekend routine completely depends on the time of year and season of life my family is in.

If we’re in the midst of a sports season for one of the kids, weekends look and feel much differently than if we are on summer break from school. For the sake of today’s conversation let’s talk bout a typical, middle of the school year, weekend. The kind of weekend when my kids don’t have a sports season but they do have social activities.

Setting my Weekend Intention

During the quiet of Saturday morning I mentally work my way through the must dos I have for the weekend routine versus the can dos. This process allows me to set my intentions for the weekend. How productive I want to be, and what my pace will look for the next two days.

Often I’m thinking through the kids schedules, cleaning and chore needs for the cabin, content creation for PDH, any grading or school prep that needs to happen, work outs, and errands.

My goals is always to be done with must dos by mid to late afternoon on Sunday.

Weekend Must Dos

Let’s face it there are some critical tasks that must get done on the weekend.

Grocery shopping, chores, errands, and social arrangements or sports functions often occur on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. I genuinely try to get all of the weekend must-dos accomplished while still leaving margin for self-care and rest.

As we continue to navigate a semi-quarantined life we are slowly adding in occasional social outings too. Here is a typical winter weekend schedule (COVID-ified) for my family. I’ll include in italics ways I try to make room for rest.

Typical Weekend Schedule

Friday

• Meal plan for the week ahead and submit the grocery order for pick up on either Saturday or Sunday
• Family Movie Night, or Date Night In
• Early bedtime

Saturday

• Sleep In
• Slow Morning
• Workout
• Errands OR
• Chores OR
• Social Outing for the kids
• Mom’s Laundry
• Later bedtime

Sunday

• Sleep in
• Fun breakfast for the family
• Late Morning Church, online or in person
• Easy workout or Hike
• Chores OR
• Errands
• Household Laundry- linens and/or bedding
• Social outing for the kids
• Meal Prep for the week if needed
• Skin Self-Care in the evening
• Weekday prep (grading, kids and I make lunches for the next day, snack prep)
• Early bedtime

Weekday help for better Weekends

A few tasks completed during the week really help make Saturdays and Sundays less chaotic.

I will often keep a working grocery list nonstop throughout the week. Then all I need to do on Thursday or Friday is create the meal plan for the week ahead to get the grocery order placed.

We will also carve out one or two maintenance evenings during the week when needed. Sometimes it’s household chores, a load of evening laundry, or run a quick errand. My husband currently works remotely from home and is able to usually do a quick mid-week store run when needed.

Weekend Day Trips or Outings

Once or twice a month we try to have a full day outing on a Saturday or Sunday. We’ll escape to the mountains or plan a day of errands in Denver. When this occurs, it’s critical we maximize our weeknight tasks to help make sure we can launch into the next week successfully. We plan full day outings often but far enough in advance that we can be prepared to enjoy the day trip stress free.

Prioritizing Self-Care and Sleep

A few years ago I jokingly said out loud, “I love Friday night sleep.” But the reality was I had the best sleep of the week on Friday night. In just one silly sentence I was officially beginning my process of prioritizing rest and self-care in my weekend routine.

So as a family it’s an unspoken rule; we sleep well on the weekend, especially during the school year. Sure from time to time we have a busy weekend and we end it with tired eyes and full hearts. But for the most part during the school year I am very careful to get ample sleep over the weekend. Teaching can be draining emotionally and physically and I need to be ready for whatever the weekdays bring.

Hand in hand with sleep, I’ve tried to build in slow mornings, yummy breakfasts, workouts, and personal wellness (i.e. skincare routines) over the weekend too.

Don’t Over Promise and then Under Deliver

Having a positive and restful attitude is a mental game for me. Especially during the school year. I don’t over promise so I under deliver. I’m realistic with myself about what can or can’t get done. Graciousness and thoughtfulness go a long way so I can love my family, home, and small business well on the weekend.

With hope for you and your intentional home,