Most of my life, I have never looked forward to Mondays until recently. Not because my weekends are boring, but because, as I get older, I am loving the idea of going to work. But even though that is the case, there are some sluggish start to Mondays, and that’s when I know I haven’t taken the right steps to prepare me for the day.
By Thursday the week before, I have already planned what I need to do over the weekend to help recharge my mind and body, so that the days ahead would be as stress free as possible. You know, where the stress takes over every ounce of your being, elevating anxiety to about a ten – those kinds of days.
First – Winding down on Friday night is important – where an Italian meal is in order paired with a good bottle of red and two movies, comedy is a must.
Saturday early morning, wake the house up to a full-on breakfast, the kind you have no time for throughout the week, including fresh squeezed orange juice. Followed by a walk across the city (you can choose your own exercise), sidewalk cafe lunch somewhere midway with much people watching. Rainy days, saunter through a favorite museum, then make a point to visit an actual brick-and-mortar bookstore – with the intention to buy an actual book. Getting ideas and then buying on Amazon does not count.
Sundays are for dreaming, writing down thoughts, photography, and even a few phone calls to those who are important and just chat, perhaps even find yourself cheering them up. Play French music throughout the day, spend the day makeup free, with hair au natural. A spontaneous day trip somewhere, even a thrift shop counts, antique stores, whimsical boutiques, perfumerie or a craft store – any means to boost the old endorphins and help free the positive. I prefer a home cooked meal over restaurants, so gather up the freshest of ingredients from a farmers market and encourage your significant other to help prepare a Sunday night dinner and dessert – the kind of dessert you normally pass up because of the calories – rely on your creativity to substitute with healthy ingredients and just indulge. In the evening, turn off the French music streaming on Pandora and watch a classic.
Here’s a helpful list of foods that relieve stress
How does walking help you ask?
How do you recharge?
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