7 Ways to Stop Living for The Weekend
#7: Instill fun in your Workweek.
If you are a frequent user on social media, then chances are, your friday feed is filled with TGIF post and you appreciate this because like most people you consider the work week a trap and look forward to the weekend.
However, living in expectation is a silent killer to your wellbeing; It makes the present valueless and eliminates your chances of being happy
Why do people look forward to the weekend?
If you are a parent, a work week could mean time away from family.
You aren’t alone in this;Statistics on working class parents shockingly reveals that 53% of moms and 51% of dads feel they lag behind in their parental duties due to work.
Another study shows that one fifths of Americans consider their work places toxic.
so it’s no surprise if you look forward to a period where demeaning coworkers are absent and you can spend time with your family.
But why enjoy 2 days out of the week when you can enjoy the entire7?
Here are quick ways you can stop living for the weekend and enjoy every day of your life.
1. Believe you can
Believing you can do it is 50 percent of the work
That’s right. First belief you can make your entire 7 days a pleasurable one. The internet is riddled with enough evidence on how people achieved this;
hairej yournes CEO of cloud web application aokumo, narrates how he’s previous job felt like a roller coaster and popular Freelance writer Elna cain narrates how she transformed her life to make time for her twins.
You too can do the same. The first step is to belief you can.
2. Take charge
Instead of allowing life happen to you, make it happen for you.
The unfounded reason why everyone feels trapped is because they allow life sweep them along instead of leading it consciously.
To take charge you can:
Start by taking stock of the activities you like and the ones you don’t.
Then think out how you can remove the unpleasnat ones. It might imply a career change, a new place of work or turning your passion into work.
Whatever it is, taking steps to lead a more decisive life will stop you from feeling trapped.
3. Accept the truth
Don’t feel discontented if you start taking concrete steps but still have to cope with a workweek you find unfulfilling. Accept that great things take time and yours is no exception.
4. Stop thinking of free-time
Many times we let pleasantness cloud our judgement.
You might hate the work week because it has less free time and wish for a life with more. But ask anyone who created the life they wanted, if they have more free time and your answer would likely be no.
In practice: If Your freelancing career grows it will attract more clients and this means more work.
If you get your dream job you are going to love it so much that you devote more time to it and this also means …you guessed it more work!
Realize that as as your existence becomes more essential to the welfare of others you will have less time for yourself.
5. Learn devotion
Giving everything you do your 100 percent brings pleasure regardless of the circumstance.
If you find your work week stressful improve your focus.
A harvard business review on the correlation between focus and happiness reveals that 100 percent focus brings happiness. The research contacted 250,000 people through an automated apple service to find out their current mood. 99.5 percent of respondents who said they were happy were currently having sex and paying full attention to it while the others who were unhappy reported they were engaged in an activity with a distracted mind.
Focus is also a great way to uncover new aspects of your workweek which could make it more purposeful and help you stop looking forward to the weekend
To get to the point where your mind is 100 % focused on a task try the following
Cultivate these habits to improve your focus
1. Meditate regularly
2. Eliminate distractions when you work
3.Avoid multitasking
4. Keep practicing
6. Appreciate the duality
Just as we have two eyes and two feet duality is a part of life
Night and day, life and death, weekday and weekend, the truth is, duality is woven into the universe for the purpose of maturity.
Think of a plant. It undergoes both sunny weather and harsh winds.
Think of the human skin. It builds resilience from what soothes and what bruises.
Now think of yourself: and you realize that you also need a life with two distinct polls. These polls are your workweek and the weekend.
Learn to appreciate them and don’t favour one over the other.
7. Instill fun in your Workweek.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
Maybe its because of a culture that views rest as a sign of weakness but many of us skip breaks during work hours.
A break doesn’t have to be long: a short nap, a casual chat or a short walk to the printer is enough to elevate your moods for the day.
Here are some measured breaks you can take:
- 20:20:20 rule: Every 20 minutes take a break from your computer and stare at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Try using an eye care app for this if you are worried about forgetting.
- 30-minute rule: Meditate to clear your mind, listen to music to shake of the blues or watch a sitcom to laugh out loud. Whatever it is ensure you take 30 minutes daily for an activity unrelated to work.
- One-minute rule: You could also do a variation of this and take a minute break for every 30 minutes you work.
Final thoughts
If you’ve reconciled that living is a demand which is fulfilled by constant self-improvement, then you would make the best use of all 7 days.
You can use the tips above to stop living for the weekend.
Do you have other ways you employ in your life to help you enjoy the workweek? please drop them below thanks.
