How would you love to spend your weekends?
In recovery or feeling thankful you’ve got one more day.
Doing the same meaningful things you do during the week or repressing bad feelings.
Escaping into Netflix or meditating to increase your wisdom and joy.
I use to be that person that waited for my weekend recovery. And, it never truly happened. It was more of a numbing out, holing up, falling into the same escapist routines. Doing anything to avoid those bad feelings from the week.
There comes a point though when you ask yourself.
Am I willing to live for so-called weekend recovery another month, year, 10 years, my whole life?
Or, am I ready to learn how to truly relax into every day – work or no work?
And, I can hear this buzz right now.
Relax….what?! Quoi!
Then, I’ll be lazy, not productive, not respected.
There’s a confusion as to what relaxing means.
Relaxed doesn’t mean you’re slow at doing things. It means you’re comfortable, confident, and move through things gracefully.
Not pushing and trying to micro-manage and control everything.
What if you could actually take refuge inside vs. depending on a weekend to do if for you? You could put your well-being first on a daily basis?
Because between you and me, we know that weekend recovery is no recovery at all. It’s a brief pause, a temporary relief, a distraction, nothing that will actually cultivate peace inside yourself.
To gain more awareness of what a life of weekend recovery would be like. Try this.
Instrospection
Take 5 minutes to better understand exactly what you’re seeking in the weekend.
- What does weekend recovery mean to you?
- Which activities do you do to recover?
- What do those activities give you?
- How do you feel at the end of the weekend?
- Do these feelings carry into the work week?
Visualization
Imagine you continue depending on weekend recovery for the next 5 years. Make it vivid. Consider what choices you’re making, values you’re living, impact your making on the people around you, what’s your daily mental state, what’s the quality of your health.
Run the visualization over in your mind three to five times.
Weekend Recovery Rationalization
Brainstorm for 5 minutes. Write down every reason you have for making the weekend a time for recovery rather than knowing how to relax into every day.
Is it because you have no time, your boss is demanding, your commute is too long, you’ve got no headspace during the work days, and so on?
And, then notice if you’re making an assumption that you’ve got to control your externals to make your inner experience ok.
Your Decision
Take a decision right now.
Is it worth it?
Practical Steps
If your answer is no, note down 3 practical steps you can start taking to truly relax into each day. And, book these in your calendar as seriously as you would a business meeting.
Going through these steps takes little effort and makes a big impact – on your awareness of what’s happening and where you want to move forward. These steps do take courage to look at things perhaps you’re avoiding.
Imagine your whole life full of weekend recovery and see how that sits with you.
I know this note is a bit more bold than normal.
It’s important you don’t go on autopilot and ignore the situation that’s going on. You may be looking for relief in weekend recovery where no real relief will ever be found.
If you decided to say no to a weekend recovery mindset, let me know as a first step to making it happen.
You are creating your life so please make it one you enjoy starting now.
Warmly,
Jennifer
