What do you think people do on weekends or during their break from work?

Well, most people spend their time combining family activities with their children and spouse, running errands and engaging in creative activities to exercise their right brain.

Laura Vanderkam, the author of What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekend, says, “The weekends are the secret to professional success, and you need rejuvenating breaks rather than exhausting and disappointing ones”.

In my opinion, success is defined as achieving a certain level of fulfillment and happiness in your work, family, and spiritual life. Most people need to feel a sense of accomplishment to self-motivate and tackle the next challenge.

Here are a few things you can do on weekends or when you take a break from work.

Seven Things to Do While you Take a Break From Work

Make time for family and friends

This is crucial for those unable to spend time with their loved ones during the workweek. Not long ago, families would go on picnics and have barbecues or brunches to spend time with their loved ones.

Spending quality time with friends and family can actually aid in stress management. While money can’t buy happiness, spending time with the people you care about is always a good investment. As Harvard happiness expert Daniel Gilbert explains: “We are happy when we have family, we are happy when we have friends and almost all the other things we think make us happy are actually just ways of getting more family and friends.”

Is it not pleasurable to relax with those we like having around?

Exercise regularly

Physical activity can strengthen your bones and muscles, help you maintain a healthy weight, improve your ability to carry out daily tasks and improve your brain health. Adults who spend less time sitting and engage in any amount of moderate-to-vigorous exercise reap some health benefits.

Everyone needs to work out at least four to five days a week, and if you can’t find time for that, try to get into an activity that will help keep you fit. Partnership head from Vtiger and a good work friend, Mr. Harish, is an active cyclist and regularly hits a milestone of 1000kms every month.

Pursue a passion or a hobby

Successful people make time for fun activities that add to their sense of balance in life. One of my workmates, Sadanand, has a great passion for music. He spends his weekends practicing and teaching music. Pursuing this passion became a love of singing – he now regularly sings for us in office gatherings.

In one of the articles by Forbes, they say, pursuing a passion makes one happy since it is not a job and often it is not goal-oriented and there might not be money associated with it.

Go on little vacations

A weekend getaway offers a welcome break from the grind of a demanding workweek. I personally prefer going on road trips, adventure trips, and trekking. I also like visiting different restaurants to try out their signature dishes. This is how I reward myself after an intense week at work.

The ability of your brain to be more creative will be increased by getting outside. Professor at Columbia Business School Adam Galinsky has conducted numerous studies on the effects of travel on the brain’s capacity for creativity, but he is not the only one. The same positive correlation between the two topics has been discovered by numerous other studies.

Unplug for a while

Most people avoid work-related e-mails and calls for a period of time to disconnect themselves. I’m not saying disconnect for the whole weekend, but even just a walk without the phone can be liberating. Go on a digital detox for a few hours or a day.
My colleague, Bindu, takes these long walks in the park with her dog and always carries a book along. I guess this is how she unplugs from the rest of the world.

Below are a few of the benefits of unplugging from the outside world:

• Increased Productivity
• Better Quality Sleep
• Improved Interpersonal Communication

Socialize for happiness

Humans are social beings and research on people’s daily happiness experiences reveals that socializing is on the list. I would suggest going out with friends and family or getting involved in the local community as the best way to socialize.

Get involved in group cultural activities, sports, gardening and crafts. This is especially for those cooped up in an office all week. For pure joy, some people find great satisfaction in feeling mud in their hands while creating beautiful gardens and some like playing games and sports. One of my work friends, Megha, likes spending time on artwork with her friends during her breaks to satisfy her creative side.

Make some “Me-time”

And lastly, be kind to yourself. Spare time to reflect on your body, mind, and health needs. Enjoy some me-time away from the crowds, family, and friends.

We should never feel guilty for making time for ourselves. This kind of self-care gets us ready for the rest of life. Our mental and physical health depends on “me” time, so it’s not just a pointless hobby!

There are numerous ways and times that we can take time for ourselves. We have the option of leaving for an adventure or getting up 20 minutes earlier than the rest of our family. Just be sure that whatever decision you make, it is a choice for YOU!

OnePoll and Elements Massage conducted a study looking at the self-care practices and “me-time” habits of 2,000 Americans and discovered that “me-time” is one of their top priorities.

The results indicate that 51 minutes per day, or about six hours per week, constitute the recommended amount of “me-time.”

Before I conclude, we are all aware that time is too valuable to spend completely on leisure. Make plans that you can keep up with. Don’t squander that time by watching TV, checking emails, and doing chores. Your weekend doesn’t matter much if you don’t have a busy workweek, but if you’re working from 9 to 5 (and more in some cases) every day, it certainly does.