It’s Friday! Woohoo for the start of the weekend! Work feels lighter, people smile more and are looking forward to weekend relaxing. But what if you live alone? The weekend can be a lonely black hole. Or alternatively a weekend alone can be full of social dates so you don’t get to properly relax for the coming week. Two years ago I began to live alone after 8 years of living with a partner and his child. At first I booked my weekend full of social events, I was never alone and never home. Inevitably I began to get ill, my body was over exhausted with no energy for my work. I got sick. Very sick. And I suddenly was forced to spend a lot of time at home alone. So instead of wallowing (well okay I had a day or two of wallowing) or cleaning, I chose to make this time Me Time. I now two years later get cranky if I don’t get my me time. It gives me a chance to check in with what is important to me, rest my body and give myself the freedom to do what I want to do. In fact this is so important to me that as I am my wonderful Mr T plan to move together we have decided to have our own rooms to make sure we get this time.
There are many ways you can make your weekend alone special for you. Here are 8 ideas that can inspire you to create your you time when you need it.
Music, music, music
Music can make you happy, it can make you relaxed. So as soon as you get home on a Friday night, put the stereo on. (Ok now I am showing my age, I guess today it’s put Youtube or Spotify on). Alone you can choose whatever music you like, no arguments, So turn it up, dance around the kitchen and start the weekend on a high note.
Prepare a special dinner
Often if you live alone you don’t make the effort to prepare a special dinner. Personally I make a big dinner every Sunday and eat the same thing from Sunday to Thursday. Friday and Saturday is my day for a special dinner. Whether at home or at a restaurant eating alone can be a fun experience. (Plus if you do eat alone at a restaurant it’s cheaper!) It’s a time to treat yourself to eat your favorite food, sit up at the table and enjoy a glass of your favorite something.
Pamper yourself
Everybody enjoys a good pampering although we often don’t take the time to do it. Light the candles, make your own massage oil and give yourself a foot or hand massage, have a warm shower or bath, exfoliate, use a face mask, whatever works for you. Or alternatively many swimming pools have saunas, steam rooms and Jacuzzi. Its a great treat for the body and so relaxing. You’ll feel better for a pampering and sleep better too, this is a sure fire way to re-energizes the body.
Get out of the house
Being inside for the whole weekend can make you stagnant. Get up, turn your computer off and get out of the house. Take a walk in nature, go to a museum, make yourself a picnic. You can even go to the cinema alone. (Believe me it’s not so daunting as it sounds. I really enjoy it and the best thing is I can talk about it with my colleagues on a Monday!) In nature I can relax more without other people. I can choose my own pace and don’t feel pressured to enjoy my walk in the way other people want to . Also take pictures, it will help you to remember the fun you have had.
Exercise
Exercise it one of the best dopamine creators in the universe. I am a complete dopamine junkie. I love it. Doing an hours exercise not only gives you that boost, it also makes you feel great about yourself. Whether you like running, yoga, weights or Pilates. Get moving and feel great.
Creativity
Get creative. Whether it’s painting, writing or starting a new hobby bring out your inner artist and enjoy making again. I am the artistic type one of my favorite activities in the woods is to make nature mandalas with whatever I can find, it helps me interact with nature on a totally different level.
Contact people
If you are feeling down or far too lonely then you can always contact people. Maybe there is someone you have been thinking about but haven’t spoken in a while. A weekend is the perfect time to contact them and have a catch up.
Have a childish day
Release the inner child. What did you enjoy doing when you were a kid. Personally I loved drawing and colouring while watching a film and eating cheese on toast. I enjoyed doing jigsaws, making Lego and playing on my Sega (I love sonic and I am not ashamed of it!) As we grow older we do lose the childhood fantasy, (do your remember when your pictures played out like stories in front of you or was that just me?) however why should play be restricted to the smaller people? We all feel like big kids anyway so release your inner child and play.
In Denmark there is a concept called hygge, it roughly translates at cosy time. Danish culture is built around hygge and making things nice for you and for others, not surprising that Denmark is known as the happiest country in the world! So take a leaf out of the danes book and make the weekend cosy and special for you.
Have a happy hygge weekend 🙂
