25 Amazing Self-Care Weekend Ideas to Recharge Your Mind, Body, and Life

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which means I earn a small commission if you purchase or book through my link, at no extra cost to you.

• Save

You wake up, go to work, take care of your kids, watch Netflix, and fall asleep tired as f^ck, even though you spend the entire evening relaxing on the couch. Days go by and your routine stays the same. Then weekend comes in and you’re so exhausted that when your kids wake you up at 10am you’re cranky, snappy, and barely alive. You spend most of the day scrolling through social media and do nothing even remotely productive. You’re tired after all, aren’t you?

We typically forget about self-care and don’t pay attention to things that tire us out. That applies especially to activities that strain our mental and emotional capacity.

Have you noticed how difficult it is to stop scrolling social media and how you feel after that? If you’re tired of wasting your time and constantly feeling exhausted, you’re in a good place. Today, we’ll figure out how to implement some self-care activities into your daily routine to fill your cup, not drain it.

Let’s start with preparing for the self-care weekend and exploring different self-care weekend ideas. You’ll see how much of a difference is starting a week from the place of rest.

What Actually Is Self Care?

Cambridge Dictionary says that self-care is

the practice of doing activities that you enjoy or that are relaxing, especially in order to improve or avoid stress.

In other words, self-care means taking care of yourself and prioritising your own physical and mental wellbeing. It can be anything from having good work-life balance, getting eight hours of sleep every night, to journaling and eating balanced meals.

It’s important to develop your own meaning of self-care so that you can make it work for you.

Types Of Self-Care

There are 6 main types of self-care.

1. Emotional self-care consists of actions that help you connect and process your emotions in a healthy way. You can practise emotional self-care by journaling, being creative, or going to a therapy.
2. Practical self-care is essential to fulfil core aspects of your life to reduce stress. For example, you can create a budget, meal prep, or deep clean your flat so that your life will be easier and you’ll be able to stop worrying about all those things you’ve been postponing for weeks.
3. Physical self-care is the most popular type of self-care. It includes all activities that improve your physical well-being, like going for a walk, getting a full night of sleep, taking a long bath, or drinking lots of water.
4. Mental self-care comprises any activities that stimulate your mind. You can practise this type of self-care by reading a book, trying a new hobby, writing, or listening to a podcast.
5. Social self-care can be practiced by taking part in activities that nurture your relationships with other people. You know, all those things like going on a date, calling your parents regularly, or hosting a game night count.
6. Spiritual self-care is the last type of self-care and consists of anything that helps you to connect with your soul and nurture it. It doesn’t have to be a religious thing. You can, for example, meditate, practise yoga, or spend time in nature (my fav thing to do!).

Just a quick note: I listed out just a few examples of activities for each type of self-care to help you get your brain going. It’s not an exhaustive list by any means and if you find things that work better for you that’s great!

Self-care means different things for everyone and you shouldn’t feel bad about not following someone else’s routine.

Benefits Of A Self-Care Weekend

While self-care is often looked upon as something silly and not worth your time, it’s actually crucial for your wellbeing. Being stressed out all the time and treating other people like they’re more important than you can increase your risk of illness and deplete you from any energy you have left. That saying, here are some examples of self-care benefits:

• boost motivation and your self-esteem
• increased energy
• reduced stress and anxiety
• improved sleep quality
• being able to focus and be more productive
• lowered risk of getting ill
• burnout and overwhelm prevention

3 Most Common Self-Care Misconceptions

Self-Care Is Selfish

When you think about taking a long bath or going offline for the day, you might feel selfish or guilty.

I get it.

I feel this way every time I want to have a bit of time for myself.

It couldn’t be further from the truth, though. Taking time for yourself can help you rest and recharge your batteries, so then you can be more energised and productive throughout the day.

I like to imagine that I get a box full of tokens every day. Each token means one percent of my capacity. You can recharge by getting a full night of sleep of spending time on self-care. If you cut back on sleep and don’t care about yourself, you lose tokens.

Tokens are valid just for a day, so you can’t save them and spend on the next day.

When you don’t spend any time on self-care thinking, that’s selfish and unnecessary, you get fewer tokens. After a while, you’re so exhausted not only physically but mentally too, and it’s difficult to do even the smallest tasks.

That’s why I believe that NOT taking time for yourself is selfish.

How are you supposed to be a good person, friends, mother, partner, etc. when you’re too tired to play with your child, cook dinner, or be productive at work?

Self-Care Is Expensive / Takes A Lot Of Time

When you think about self-care, what’s the first thought that comes to your mind? Is it SPA weekend with a bunch of girlfriends, expensive treatments, or going for an all-inclusive trip abroad? But who has time and money for that? Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to look like that.

You can integrate simple acts of self-care into your daily life, no matter how busy you are. Everyone has small pockets of time throughout the day so instead of pulling out your phone every time you have a bit of time to yourself, try to sit in quiet and clear your mind, meditate, read a book, or simply drink a cup of hot coffee. The possibilities are truly endless.

You Need To Earn It

For some reason, there is a popular assumption going on around that you need to earn self-care or rest. That’s not true! There’s no such thing as earning self-care or rest, as both things are productive in some ways. You need to recharge every day to stay productive and healthy after all.

If you take care of yourself regularly, you’ll be able to do all your tasks in a shorter amount of time so your work-life balance will improve vastly and you’ll have even more time for yourself.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

• Save

• Save

How To Prepare For Self-Care Weekend?

There are three things you can do to make sure that you have the best self-care weekend possible.

Block Off Time

Schedule your self-care weekend in advance and put it on your calendar. Communicate with others that you’d like to spend some time on your own and organise childcare for your kids if you need to. Remember that you’re not selfish for taking time for yourself!

Go Offline

Trust me, your phone will probably be a distraction. If you’re able to, turn off your phone or at least go offline. By switching off your internet connection you won’t receive any tempting notifications, but everyone important will be able to reach you in case of an emergency.

Plan All Activities In Advance

Think of all the things you’d like to do during your self-care weekend. Brainstorm all the kinds of activities you’d like to take part in and write them down. Check in with yourself to see how you feel.

Think about everything you need right now.

Are you lonely or overwhelmed? Do you lack love? Have you wanted to watch a movie for weeks but you haven’t found time or anyone to watch it with? Think of ways you can give what you need to yourself and add them to the list.

When you’re done, it’s time to create a game plan. Choose those activities you’re the most excited about and schedule time for them.

• Save

Self-Care Weekend Ideas For The Mind

Go Outside

When was the last time when you spent the entire afternoon outside? I’m not talking about running errands, though. What I mean is sitting by the sea, having a picnic in a park, going for a walk, etc.

There are so many things you can do! The best thing is that being in nature helps with clearing your mind, getting inspired, or finding solutions to problems that have been tormenting you for days.

Going for a walk is also a great form of exercise, so you not only take care of your mind but also of your body.

Visit Interesting Spots In Your Town

Being a tourist in your own town might seems weirds, I know. It’s a great idea not only for a family day out but also for a solo date with yourself. People rarely go out of their comfort zone and don’t visit unknown places.

When you live in one place, you might think that you have plenty of time to go to the museum or to the cafe that everyone has been raving about. That’s why I bet you haven’t visited all the tourist attractions in your area.

You also might have plenty of ideas what would you visit if you had time for it. If that’s the case, make a list of all the places you’ve ever wanted to visit, and do it!

Go Offline

That’s a new thing I’ve been trying to do for the past couple of weeks. It’s like the social media detox I did a few years back, but instead of leaving social media for a week, you ditch most of the electronics for the day. That means no social media, watching YouTube, or even checking the weather forecast online. It’s really hard and I haven’t stayed offline for the entire day yet.

I chose Sunday for my offline day but with a twist: I’m allowed to use the iPad for writing and phone for messages. If I really need to check something, I do that too, as I know it will keep tormenting me otherwise. I know, it’s cheating, but that’s the only way that works for me right now.

The problem is that once I google something, I’ll most likely end up at Instagram somehow. One day, I’m going to get one of those boxes to lock my phone inside, but it scares me out right now.

Stay Present In The Moment

When you think about it, there’s a lot of time you spend daydreaming, thinking about things that happened or might happen in the future, etc. Staying present in the moment isn’t something you do often, mostly because you need to do that on purpose.

Try going on a walk without your phone and pay attention to things you can see, smell, or touch. Focus on the smell of coffee when you go past Starbucks, touch green leaves and check how they feel, stop by the local market and observe people hustling around for a second.

There are a lot of possibilities to stay present in the moment while being at home too. When you take a shower or wash the dishes, focus on water’s temperature and how it feels when it’s running over your body.

Pay attention to the feeling of soft fabric while folding towels. Try to keep your mind clear of all the thoughts that usually run through your head endlessly.

Start Journaling

Before you laugh at this idea, hear me out. Let’s start with the most important thing – journaling isn’t stupid, and it doesn’t matter what you write about. I mean, it matters, but not in the way you might think. People associate journaling with writing “Dear Diary” type of entries which might seem silly when you’re an adult. I get it. But you can write whatever you want to and whether that’s a letter to your diary with a list of things you did today, that’s okay.

Journaling has many benefits, especially if it’s done regularly. It helps to clear your head, find new ideas, come to some conclusions, etc. Journaling can help you discover the root of some problems and achieve your goals too. There’s many journaling prompts available online literally for everything.

• Save

Read A Book

31% of adults in England don’t read in their free time – said survey carried out by the Reading Agency. Reading books broadens your horizons and teaches you new things. And it’s so important to keep learning throughout your life!

If you don’t read regularly or just believe that it’s boring, try picking up some fiction or young adult type of book. Have you tried reading Harry Potter or The Hunger Games? Those two are very popular and enjoyable for people of different ages.

What about your favourite movie? Is it based on the book you can read? Usually, books and movies differ from each other. You might discover that the movie was based on a first book in the series and there’s a lot more to discover!

Choosing a self-development book can help you solve some issues you might have in your day-to-day life. For example, How to break up with your phone can help you with implementing offline Sundays.

Clear Out Your Social Media: Unfollow People

When was the last time you cleared out your social media? I bet you spend a lot of time online every day. It’s important to pay attention to what kind of content you digest, and how it makes you feel. If watching someone’s stories makes you feel bad, unfollow them.

Even if you really enjoy their content, it makes no sense to watch it if all you feel afterwards is jealousy or feeling inadequate in some ways. Same applies to following your friends and family – if you’re worried about backlash you might receive after unfollowing them, mute them instead.

Most of the social media platforms have this option easily available. No one will ever know that you muted them!

Watch A Movie

Watching a movie is one of my favourite ways of spending evenings, especially in fall. Make a cup of hot chocolate, cosy up with a soft blanket, and have a lazy evening watching Netflix!

Meditate

Meditation is like staying present in the moment and journaling. It seems silly, you might be sceptic about it and don’t believe it’s worth your time.

It’s very common to think this way about it, as your brain tries to avoid things that are difficult or inconvenient. Start small. There are plenty of apps that provide easy, 5 minutes guided meditations. There’s no harm in trying 😉

Put On Your Favourite Music

Listening to your favourite music can quickly boost your mood. It works wonders for me! You can put it on while washing dishes, getting ready, or walking around the town. It’s one of my favourite acts of self-care and it’s perfect even when you’re busy.

Spend Some Time In Peace

I know that I just said that putting on your favourite music is great. Sometimes it might be better to spend some time in peace and quiet, especially if all you do is run errands or taking care of children, for example. I know how difficult it can be to sit around noisy toys and cartoons.

Even though my daughter doesn’t always use her tablet, I need to wear my headphones with noise cancellation turned on to focus or think clearly.

Sleep In

My favourite way of self-care! Sleep is so important to our bodies, yet we see it as a waste of time sometimes. When you constantly get not enough sleep, you’re less productive, sleepy, and irritated during the day.

That’s not the way to go!

I experience strong headaches and migraines that make me unable to do anything during the day. I’ve heard many times that rest is for the weak, but it’s bullshit. Rest is actually very productive!

Self-Care Weekend Ideas For Body

Eat Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so it’s worth to be more mindful of what’s actually on your plate in the morning. Healthy breakfast will help you start your day better and provide nutrients needed to feel energised and ready for the day.

Take A Relaxing Bath Or Shower

One of my favourite acts of self-care is relaxing baths and showers. There’s nothing better than ending the day in a bathtub full of hot water and bubbles, especially during colder months. Swap your phone for the book and give yourself 30-60 minutes of pure relaxation.

You can try to meditate, stay present in the moment, and keep your mind clear of any intrusive thoughts, too. It’s difficult, but it’s sooo worth it!

Drink Lots Of Water

If you’re anything like me, you might’ve heard about benefits of drinking water but never actually implemented it. I love tea, especially one that’s been brewing for at least an hour. At peak times I was drinking even 3 litres of breakfast tea a day!

I haven’t used any water tracking apps for months if not years, but I can imagine that screenshot above is a fairly accurate representation of my current situation. When I think about it, I don’t even remember the last time I drank more than one cup of water! That’s terrifying.

Find New Recipes To Try Out

People are divided into two groups – one that like to experiment in the kitchen and eat different dish every day, and the other that have 10 recipes they trust and use repeatedly. I fall into the second group, definitely. Sometimes it’s good to leave your comfort zone and find new recipes to try out. It can be also a great opportunity to start eating healthier.

Meal Plan

There are many benefits of meal planning. It can help to save money, shop less, and limit the amount of wasted food. It’s not a simple thing to do, though, and I struggle with it immensely.

I tried to meal plan for months and it never clicked with me. If meal planning doesn’t work for you or looks overwhelming, try planning just for 2-3 days at a time and slowly move towards planning the entire week in advance.

Move Your Body

Did you know that making a goal of walking 10k steps every day can boost your heart health, help you focus better, be more energised, and strengthen your lungs, bones, and muscles?

Well, I guess it’s not true, since 10k was a made up number by Japanese Dr Yoshiro Hatano in 1960s. Even slight increase in number of steps you make every day will be beneficial to you. And brisk, 10-minute walks would be even better!

Create A Regular Skin Care Routine

Having a skin care routine is very important, even if you’re in your twenties and don’t have any wrinkles. It’s important to take care of your skin no matter how old you are. It’s better to prevent than cure after all, isn’t it?

Self-Care Weekend Ideas For Life

Write Down Your Goals And Dreams

When you write something down, you’re more likely to achieve it. That’s why I’m a huge fan of writing down your goals and dreams and plan them out.

Take a pen and paper and sit in a quiet place for a few minutes. Close your eyes and imagine your ideal life in 6 months. Then, write everything down. Pick things that excite you the most and plan your way to achieve them.

Do A Weekly / Monthly / Life Reset

I’ve noticed that “resets” have become very popular recently. Weekly and monthly resets are great to implement as a routine – they help you stay organised and remember about all the important events, appointments, or things to do.

Life resets are bigger than that and I like to do them once in a while. They can include planning out the next couple of months, deep cleaning your house, decluttering your surroundings, digital files, etc.

Clear Flat Surfaces

Flat surfaces are clutter crutches for most people. Walk around your house and clear every countertop and windowsill you find on your way. Once they’re organised and free of any clutter, create systems that will help you keep them this way for longer.

Do you keep putting mail on your table? Find a space where you can put important letters so you can easily find and deal with them later. Throw away everything else immediately.

Clearing flat surfaces is a quick way to make your room look better and cleaner. Did you know that clutter elevates the level of stress?

Organise Your Desk

If you work from home, you might spend a lot of time at your desk. Keeping it clear might help you stay productive and have enough space for things that are actually important.

Clear And Organise Your Digital Files

Even though we clean our houses regularly, we forget about another very important space we should clean from time to time too.

Electronic devices.

We spend a lot of time using them but we rarely clear and organise digital files. It’s important to go through them regularly and delete what’s no longer needed. Create systems that work for you and don’t forget to back up all your files. I like to have two backup copies – one on a local backup drive, and another somewhere outside my home, for example in a cloud like Dropbox or Google Drive.

Deep Clean One Area Of Your Home

When was the last time when you deep cleaned your kitchen cabinets or under the bed? Very often we don’t want to do that or don’t have enough time, but it stays on our mind for ages.

Make a list of all areas you’ve been wanting to deep clean or declutter for ages and pick one to take care of today. I bet you’ll feel better afterwards!

DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT FOR LATER!

• Save

• Save

Conclusion For 25 Relaxing Self-Care Weekend Ideas to Recharge Your Mind, Body, and Life

It’s impossible to live a happy, productive life without spending some time on self-care every day. Sometimes life happens, though, and that’s when self-care weekend ideas come in. They help you recenter and recalibrate yourself so you can start a new week from a place of rest.

It’s important to give some time for every type of self-care, but it’s not quantity that counts, but quality. Even if you’re not able to spend the entire weekend on your own, I believe you can find a few pockets of time here and there when you can spend doing what matters for you.

I know how difficult it can be to have some alone time, but it’s not impossible. Sometimes it’s worth to revisit your priorities and check in with yourself – it’s impossible to be the best version of yourself while taking care of everyone and everything but not yourself.

Until next time,
M.