You’ve done it. You’ve made it to the end of the week.
If it’s been a particularly tough one, you might want to hibernate all weekend once you clock off – but we say choose a few activities that will boost your mood, instead.
Start your weekend off with a (homemade) killer coffee.
Of course, we’d all love to go out to our favourite coffee shop and order flat white after flat white – but we also want to stay in our PJs. Make a killer cup of coffee at home with these hacks from baristas. Whether you drink instant coffee, use beans, or grind your own, there are ways to make your fix even more delicious – before you get back in bed and watch Netflix for another hour.
Take yourself out for a walk.
No excuses. Wet? Get your raincoat. Muddy? Put on your wellies. If it’s cold, get wrapped up, take your favourite pal or a loved one, and spend a few hours nattering away about your week, your month, your future holidays, and things you have to look forward to. Walking outside is great for our mental heath, as we all know, so it’ll also give you a boost of energy for the rest of your weekend.
As our writer Rachel Moss puts it: “In a world where we’re surrounded by images of Insta-worthy perfection, that reminder that nature is, at times, ugly and unforgiving, is the most beautiful moment of them all. Sure, the flowers on a summer walk are lovely, fringing the path with colour and scent. But spotting a disobedient bloom poking out of the twigs during winter is an unparalleled joy.”
Do, or start, a hobby.
If you love gardening, drawing, painting, bouldering, badminton – whatever it is, this is the weekend to fit it into your schedule to boost your happiness levels.
Want to be active, but find the idea of hitting the gym mind-numbingly boring? Find something you love instead. It might be mindful running, wild swimming, Jiu Jitsu or boxing that sparks the shift. Perhaps it’s bouncing on a trampoline, learning a new dance style or trying fitness drumming. It’s a thing.
Or maybe you want to try something new – a creative activity, like calligraphy? Use these tips from experts on how to get going with beautiful handwriting.
Make yourself a ‘fakeaway’.
Save the takeaway money for a treat (see below) – and instead, cook up an absolute storm in your kitchen. Choose from three recipes of chicken rogan josh, vegetable chow mein or a prawn red curry – all from TV nutritionist, Dale Pinnock. You’ll get that feeling of satisfaction when you tuck into it. Or if you’d prefer to rustle up something quicker, try these instant pot vegetarian recipes – meaning you can chuck it all in while you luxuriate in front of the TV.
Go out dancing – but avoid the hangover.
If you’ve committed to staying sober for more than just a month, you can still go out dancing (like no one’s watching). But if you do decide to have a drink or three this weekend, use these expert tips to make sure you don’t ruin the next day hungover in bed.
Firstly, get clued up on the drinks that give you worst hangovers... and then avoid them. And then learn how alcohol experts, themselves, avoid hangovers – because the pros just know.
Treating isn’t cheating.
Give yourself a treat, something to indulge in. Browse through our shopping site, HuffPost Finds, to read all our latest brutally honest reviews of things worth your hard-earned cash.