Here are some of my favorite, year-round strategies for creating a life where we don’t just live for the weekends. The trick is to intentionally enrich each day with things, people and experiences that deeply nourish us so that we don’t fall into an all or nothing cycle, which I find to be depleting and ultimately unfulfilling.
Here are 5 ideas to help you bring some of that vacation/weekend-mentality into each day for a more enjoyable, wholesome and well-rounded life.
1. Shift the outlook that unstructured time is wasted time.
The beliefs that we are most blind to are the ones that have the most powerful effect on our lives. There is a deeply engrained cultural belief in the US that time spent doing nothing is time wasted. Another way this belief shows up is: if we’re not busy, we’re lazy. If we believe this on some level, we probably don’t value time spent resting, recharging and connecting as much as we do time spent working and crossing things off our to-do list.
This imbalance can result in stress, overwhelm, resentment, martyrdom, burnout, illness, dis-ease, and worse suppression of our innate intelligence. It is no wonder so many of us feel lost, uneasy, and unfulfilled, tending to find refuge in busyness rather than stillness: we have misplaced our compass.
Imagine what our lives would feel like if we instead adopted the belief that in order to cultivate our most creative and effective selves, we must learn to mindfully flow between the energies of doing and being. That time spent being (or non-doing), is not only equally as valuable as time spent doing, but is essential to fully emerge and flourish with less effort, more ease, and more creativity.
Put it into practice:
If you find yourself feeling lazy or uncomfortable when you’re not keeping busy, play around with numbers 2 and 4 below. You may also find inspiration in my 5-minute talk: What If We Stopped Glorifying Busy?
2. Create and embrace buffers in your schedule.
If you look for it, unstructured time often arises spontaneously – a meeting gets cancelled, the soccer game gets rained out, someone’s running late, you get somewhere early, or something happens that forces you to slow way down – e.g., you break your foot (welcome to my life as I write this). We can also intentionally build unstructured time into our day as buffers.
If you’re like me, you often anticipate fitting more into each day than you have the time or energy for. Buffers are scheduled, unstructured time during the day to do whatever feels right in that moment. When I pepper buffers into my workdays, I feel less rushed, more easeful, and more effective, and less burnt-out at the end of the day.
When we learn to settle into unstructured time without instead filling the space with that next to-do item, as many of us are conditioned to do, we allow ourselves to lean back into receiving exactly what life has to give and show us without needing to fix, analyze, or do anything. Whether for 2-minutes, 10-minutes, 30-minutes, or an hour, this is a powerful practice in welcoming the innate intelligence that lies within all of us to lead the way.
Put it into practice:
Rather than scheduling every single minute of the day, block out 15 to 30-minute buffers between tasks, meetings or activities. I find transitions are the best times to build in buffers, because this gives me the opportunity to step outside, grab a snack, stretch, breathe, meditate or lay down, which allows me to show up for my next obligation more alert, easeful and present. If I’m driving to my next meeting or activity, a healthy buffer allows me to remain calm if I hit traffic.
3. Change your routine with the seasons.
One of my favorite things about vacation is the excitement of shaking up the monotony of daily life. Routines are powerful and grounding for many of us, but they can also become stale and unproductive if not investigated once in a while. I find that welcoming natural and intentional changes to daily routines throughout the year is a great way to keep things interesting and stay informed about what rituals keeps me feeling my best.
Put it into practice:
Ayurveda is one of my favorite systems for understanding my individuality and what lifestyle practices and foods best support my body, mind and spirit during different seasons of the year and seasons of life. Click here to learn more and start exploring your own individuality and the foods and rituals that best support you!
4. Make pleasure, play and rest a part of your everyday life.
Rather than waiting until the weekends or vacation, block out time each day for things that refuel you and simply feel good. Some of my favorites include:
- Get a massage or give yourself a massage.
- Relax in the sunshine with some music or a good book.
- Lay down for 10-minutes with the simple intention of relaxing your body. Prioritize feeling over thinking. Release the need to think about, fix, analyze, know or do anything.
- Snuggle with a loved one or pet.
- Connect with a partner or lover.
- Enjoy a delicious meal or beverage (really enjoy it!).
- Take a bubble bath.
- Take a swim before or after work.
- Play with a child. Practice being fully present with them (no cell phone!).
- Indulge in your favorite creative pursuit.
- Go see live music.
- Have breakfast, lunch or dinner with a friend.
- Watch a funny movie or stand-up comedy.
- Buy yourself a gift or special treat. (Think back to something you used to beg for as a child!)
- Try something new, like kite boarding, taking a dance class, learning to paint, going to a new restaurant, or networking with new friends.
- Disconnect from all technology for 1 or more hours.
Put it into practice:
Do play, work and rest feel like peers, meaning you value each equally, or does one consume more of your attention and energy than the rest? If you answered yes to the latter, it may be time to see how it feels to re-prioritize a little. Try bringing greater balance into your life by reflecting back on what brought you joy and excitement as a child; write down at least 5 things. Next, think back to the last time you felt most calm and rested for multiple days on end; write down 5 or more things that you feel contributed to this feeling. Prioritize at least one thing from each of your lists everyday for a full week and see how you feel.
5. Know and do what deeply nourishes you.
I can tell you what works for me and others, but the truth is, it may or may not work for you. As a coach and speaker, my most important role is to support my clients in exploring, knowing and fostering the practices and beliefs that truly support them emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.
Put it into practice:
Make a list of the things, people, places, activities, foods, and rituals that nourish you (or have in the past—you can use your lists from number 4 to inform this one). There are no right or wrong answers. Next circle the top 3 to 5 things that you feel are most nurturing for you at this point in your life. Can you commit to prioritizing these things more consistently?
About the Author: Allie Andrews
With a decade of experience in the wellness and coaching industry, Allie has partnered with 65 companies and helped hundreds of achievers and workaholics find a pace and rhythm to living that feels sustainable and nourishing.
As a coach, Allie helps her clients grow their impact while prioritizing their health, deepening their relationships, and following their joy.
Allie is a lifelong student of personal growth, certified health coach, yoga teacher, and intimacy and relationship coach.
Instagram: @iamallieandrews // Facebook: Allie Andrews Coaching // LinkedIn