Weekend Self Care

Last Updated on February 2, 2023

Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past few years, you’ve probably heard the term “self-care” tons of times. The buzzword of the decade, self-care is more than just a trend—it’s a necessity.

From skincare to socializing, indoors and outdoors, there are a lot of simple things that you can do to practice self care and give yourself that much-needed (and well-deserved) break from all the pressure and demands of your personal and professional life.

Here’s our guide to weekend self care, so that the week ahead looks a bit more do-able.

Why Does Self-Care Matter?

We live in a world that promotes and glorifies hustle culture. Working endless hours and passing on vacation days are applauded and everyone functions with the belief that you must always be at your productive best.

If you’ve ever lived this life, you’re probably all too familiar with the ugly side of it as well.

Think of a pressure cooker, like an Instant Pot (a cliched example, we know, but one that works perfectly!). The cooker is designed to only hold in a particular amount of steam and anything beyond that must be released.

If that doesn’t happen, your cooker’s going to explode, decorating your walls with that beef stew you spent precious minutes putting together and leaving you with a bigger problem to handle—cleaning up the mess.

Similarly, hustling all the time can cause a buildup of pressure that may release unhealthily as frustration, depression, illness, a lack of energy, burnout, and a host of other physical and mental health issues. All of this can also ironically mean more sick days, lost wages, and hospital costs piling up.

This is where self-care comes in.

It’s the time you take to do things that matter to you, make you happy and help you improve both your mental and physical health—that hallowed period when you can wash away the stress of everyday life and reset to healthier levels.

Burning the candle at both ends may seem like a glorious thing to do, but you don’t need us to tell you what happens to the candle itself when you do this.

A few self-care activities go a long way, as proven by many studies, in reducing stress, anxiety, depression, frustration, and anger (and the resulting stroke, heart disease, and cancer) and increasing energy levels, happiness, and concentration.

Realistically speaking, we know that pulling time out of a busy schedule on weekdays is not possible, so save your self-care routine for the weekend. This way, you can also truly indulge and take as much time as you need, without having to worry about that report that needs to be submitted or your boss breathing down your neck.

10 Weekend Self Care Ideas

Whether you’re a homebody or revel in the great outdoors, there are a bunch of self-care weekend ideas that you can turn to for your self-pampering.

Stay Indoors

Here are some things that you can do indoors.

1. Plan and Prepare a Tasty Brunch

Cooking can be highly therapeutic—meditative, even.

Chopping up ingredients, sniffing your dish to see if it’s ready, tasting the filling to see if it needs more seasoning, listening to that pot of water boil, looking at your sourdough rising in the oven—cooking is a multisensory process that lets you disconnect from the world waiting outside the kitchen doors.

Cooking can also be an emotional process. For example, a lasagna can bring back beautiful memories of the summers you spent at your grandmum’s house, of that lovely Italian restaurant where you had a sweet first date, or that dreamy Tuscan getaway with your partner.

You don’t even have to whip up something fancy—even a simple brunch with boiled eggs, a mug of coffee, a healthy salad, and some toasted bread on the side will work wonders for your mental health (and your tummy’s happiness!).

You can involve friends and family members in the cooking process if you find that it boosts your mood, but if you prefer working alone, don’t be afraid to say so.

Most importantly, cook what makes you happy. This time is meant to relieve stress and boost your mood, so if you’re stressing about nailing the dish, the whole purpose is defeated.

2. Read a Book in Your Favorite Place to Relax

There’s just something about curling up in your favorite corner with a book of your choice—turns out that this can also work wonders for your mental health.

Studies show that reading can lower stress levels significantly. By focusing on one task alone and letting the world around you fade away, reading can be quite meditative, in addition to being entertaining and opening up avenues for learning.

You’re also going to reap a ton of other benefits, such as giving your brain a workout and enhancing your imaginative and creative capabilities.

3. Rearrange a Room in Your Home

Channel your inner Marie Kondo and rearrange a room in your house, such as your study, bedroom, living room, or office.

Doing this gives you a chance to find the things you want to keep and the things you want to let go of, much like the thoughts and memories you hang on to. Getting rid of things that cause clutter, especially, can feel quite empowering, satisfying, and relieving, lowering stress levels and improving your mood.

When things in your life feel like they’re swirling out of control, achieving small tasks like this can help you feel more organized and contained and bring some very welcome semblance of order into your life.

4. Enjoy a Movie Night at Home

Whether you’re cuddling with your partner or it’s just blankie, teddy, a glass of wine, and you, treat yourself to a movie night at home. Set the mood with some popcorn and switch off all the lights (or dim them if it’s horror night!).

Bring out the feel-good, corny stuff like Frozen and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, drool over Mr. Darcy or Ms. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, sing along with La La Land, revisit childhood with the Harry Potter saga, or give yourself some chills with (good) Stephen King adaptations—there’s a movie for every occasion and palette!

5. Give Yourself a Manicure/Pedicure

Focusing on your body will help you love it more and also build confidence. The chances of you flaunting your smooth, soft, polished feet and hands and building self-esteem are also higher.

Start by filing your nails and soaking your hands/feet in hand/foot cream. Follow this up with a soak in warm, soapy water to soften your cuticles, for about five minutes. Use a wet nail stone to push back your cuticles while also trimming any hangnails.

Dry your hands completely and apply a basecoat, followed by two coats of color. Finish off by applying a top coat and cleaning up any smudges.

Et voila! Perfect nails for the week and stress relief/better mood—win-win!

6. Give Your Skin Some Extra Love and Care

By giving your skin some TLC, you’re opening up yourself to a calming, soothing experience that also makes you feel like you’re paying attention to your aesthetic aspects.

Additionally, the stability and predictability of a set routine can make you feel good and in control, while also setting the stage for mindfulness to seep in, where you’re living every second of the present and enjoying it.

Use products that make you feel good—this is as good an opportunity as your best friend’s wedding to whip out that $100 miracle moisturizer! Additionally, incorporate gentle massages, face masks, and jade rollers for the best relaxation.

A good skincare routine is bound to leave you feeling good inside out, with a glow that you can proudly flaunt through the coming work week.

7. Plan Your Meals for the Upcoming Week

Meal planning and prep is an excellent way to take care of yourself, ensuring that you’re eating healthy and not forgetting about food in the chaos of work.

It’s a thoughtful gift to give yourself each day of the coming week, and by eating healthy, you’re also ensuring that your body and mind remain healthy.

Head Out

If heading out destresses you, here are some activities that you can do outdoors.

8. Go for a Long Leisurely Walk

A long, leisurely nature walk, especially with a pet for company can bring about a range of benefits, such as relieving anxiety, increasing your creativity and productivity, improving your mood, and better sleep.

It can also help you stay healthy by bringing down body fat, increasing immunity, and decreasing the risk of mental and physical health issues.

A long walk through a peaceful park or road will allow you to be alone with your thoughts and disconnect from the demands and pressures of everyday life. Additionally, the exercise will stimulate the production and release of endorphins, which will instantly give your mood a boost.

9. Visit a Museum or Exhibit

Museums are calming spaces with a lot of quiet and no restrictions on the amount of time you can spend inside. This means you can disconnect for hours on end and just dive deep into the world of art—studies show that doing so can relieve stress and anxiety.

Museums can also be really fun spots to learn about things old and new, so go lose yourself in a museum or exhibit on your self-care weekend.

10. Get Together with a Friend and Have Lunch

Last but not least, catch up with an old (or new friend) over lunch on the weekend!

We often end up taking our friendships and friends for granted, but spending even a little bit of time with your loved ones can relieve stress.

Friendships have a brilliant way of alleviating loneliness and isolation and offering your shoulder to a friend in need can also give you a sense of purpose and help you feel good about yourself (though that’s not the motivation that should drive you). And of course, great food and drinks always set the mood for a fun time!

We’re all social beings and being around people we love and trust instills a sense of belonging. So pick up that phone and call that friend you haven’t spoken to in ages—you may get the urge to cancel (we’ve all been there) but go through with it and we promise you’ll be glad you did.

Final Thoughts on Weekend Self Care

It’s so easy to lose sight of yourself and your needs in a world that’s constantly demanding your time and attention. Self-care is a great way to bring the focus back onto you and your needs (which is how it should be). You don’t even have to devote hours to it (unless you want to, of course)—just a couple on one day of the weekend will also work perfectly fine.

Don’t put off setting aside time for yourself—you don’t want to set yourself up for burnout or the other worse physical and mental consequences that can follow.

Manis to museums—take your pick and bid adieu to stress!