How to spend the weekend?

How to spend the weekend?

I'm over thirty and I love relaxed weekends, am I old now?
Not sure how you think about it but since one to two years I'm glad if weekends are completely free and I don't have to go anywhere unless I choose to. I use the time to sleep and no to party.
If working weeks were tough and took most of your time it's a pleasure to know that two days will follow to just "do" nothing.
Sure, doing nothing is not possible but what I mean is only doing things which I like and where's no stress behind.
I for instance I like to sleep long, so dates for a breakfast which many like so much are a hassle for me. Instead of putting me into weekend dates I rather wake up late, stroll in my sleeping gown through my flat with a coffee in my hand to slowly wake up. I may start the dishwasher or the washing machine, clean up a bit but all this done in slow motion. And to have still enough hours to read, write, go for a walk, do the food shopping is calming my mind. More preferable than curing the headaches from the night before, at least for me.
Who made the rule that weekend shopping should be done before lunch time? Instead of standing in a row to be next at the cash point I prefer to go in the afternoon when everyone else is preparing the night out. I'm a "dinner" eater, means I'm mostly cooking late and eat only small things throughout the day. It fits into the work week because I wouldn't be able to prepare a lunch each day and instead of eating fast food I start during the evening. Some would say that's not healthy or eating after six o'clock will make you fat. I haven't discovered any lack so far and I'm more than far away from overweight. Snuggling up on the couch with a cup of self-made soup is what I like so much more than running through the days to meet one appointment after the other. I spent lots of time with thinking, planning, and writing but also with listening to music, meditation, watching DVDs and conversations. Heading to concerts or clubs would be stress to me nowadays. It's sounding as if the poor MissFaith is a lonely person. No, it's not like that, I just surround myself with persons I like and who are thinking at least in the same direction as me. You could call it a well-sorted inner circle, that takes time but it's worth the effort but that's another topic. Fortunately all of my close friends and family are similar to what I like. I can call a friend at eleven pm and we just talk for two hours. The following Sunday's are starting late as well and except of the visit to supermarkets the schedule is similar. I try to focus as best as even possible to avoid stress factors (they are hunting me quite enough during weekdays). And besides of being at least two days relaxed it has the nice side effect that I really like it to go out once in a while. Because it's special and not my usual way of spending the free time but also because I'm not bored then. There was a time where I was totally bored because it were always the same persons, the same location, the same food and most worst the same small talk. Pretty good and I'm honestly a tiny bit proud that I went out of this reoccurring circle. My life is now more comfortable, finding inner peace instead of crowded places, and yes, maybe more adult, haha.
Enjoy your weekend however you like it best.
MissFaith

Tough working week

Tough working week

Hey, I haven't disappeared but this week was one of those weeks you want to skip in your life. Writing here is relaxing, inspiring, a little time out where I just let my thoughts flow. I intended to write every second or third day not to push myself into private timelines. This week unfortunately crashed these plans.
Days without an end where I left my desk late in the evening without having finalized what was planned. Tired, starving, eating what is found in the fridge instead of cooking a dinner and then falling onto the couch to get at least a bit the feeling that it's not only a circle of work and exhausted sleep.
Is this the work life I always dreamt of?
No, a big no. I will not start to complain too much as my job is paying my rent, my food, my clothes, all I need in life which can be bought but what about me?
Where are the times where I just do the things I like so much? After such a week I find myself sleeping, walking senseless through my flat before I start something here and something there not focusing on one action at a time. Is this the modern, busy life everyone is talking about? I'm not sure if I want it like this.
My head is full of timelines, urgent tasks to be completed, budgets, requests from clients and the knowledge about my ever growing mailbox. How did people work before they had access to the world wide web? Was is also stressful like it is nowadays? Sure everyone has times at work where it is stressful but I have the feeling as if there are no longer quiet days. Very common is to offer work-life-balance trainings or workshops, are they helpful? From my point of view they put us into another piece of stress as we have to schedule the daily tasks around them and end up in an even longer day.
So what to change if you are not happy with the current situation?
I would love to have the perfect answer but I haven't. What I try currently is a combination of several rules I made for myself. It's nothing which will fit for everyone but maybe you find some inspiring thoughts in it. I'm not consequent at all with these plans but at least I started to change my way of thinking - for the realization I give myself time to get into a rhythm which is good for me, maybe even cross out something and add something new. Rome wasn't buildt in one day and still have many construction places.

1. Finish work within the contracted time and what's not finalized during the day has to wait for the next day.
I'm improving which is quite good. In the beginning it caused a bad feeling as if I'm not able to do the work I have to. But we all are humans and if you give estimates on when you will have it done and communicate properly people will start to appreciate. It doesn't mean to extend each and every timeline to gain time, it means to stop believing that you have to deliver thousand result on just one day.

2. Find rituals to close the working day and start private time.
This is something complete individual. For me, and I'm working in a home office, it's to start preparing my dinner. I leave the desk, it's out of my sight, and start chopping vegetables for example. A task where you don't have to think at all. It could also be a hot shower, this works also on some days for me as it's just time for myself. I think there are many possibilities on what to do.

3. Take time for at least one thing per week which you want to do constantly.
I fail often with this but if I took the time for instance to sit down and listen to music for a certain time, write or starting to get into meditation I realize that I'm feeling more relaxed afterwards. Even a nap is ok.

4. Learn how you can set your mind on "mute" for a short time per day to get new inspiration.
My biggest challenge nowadays. My mind is constantly running and I'm hardly able to stop it. My plan is to start meditation and I tried already a few but am not consequent enough. I set myself no timeline not to cause additional stress but if I'm able to shut down my thinking mind even for two minutes per day I will let you know. Any tips? You are very welcome to share them with me!

5. Having a relaxing sleep
This is one important point as a lack of sleep or restless sleep cannot recharge the energy you need during a day. I had many insomniac nights during times of trouble and am finding back to how it should be like. Before I was used to read, I read so many books and it was always my ritual before I slept. Then came a time where I wasn't able to focus on what I read because thoughts were running and I got into a circle of finding no rest. I put a TV in my bedroom which isn't what I wanted all those years. I was the one always telling others that I will never have it in my bedroom. But TV itself is for sure not calming you down. Next step was to start DVDs so no commercials and well-picked topics instead of randomly trash. Nowadays I have a mixture of reading, watching DVDs and listening to mediations depending on my mood before I sleep and the way is OK to, step by step, reach the nights again where I just lay down and sleep.
In addition to this, make it comfortable for you! The worst thing for me would be a crowded sleeping room. Maybe it's my personal preference, but to ease I need not too much around me. Nothing to distract me from what I want I my bed. Means my bedroom is completely white, walls, wardrobe, bed sheets, everything. You'll find a few books in there but it's mainly the bed, one plant, and indirect light.

That's it for now - as I said, I'm just starting and there may be things I never thought about before which lead me in the end to where I want to be one day but for the moment these are the main parts for me to focus on. It shouldn't end up in a to-do list like at work so five are more than enough.
Take care and keep the faith - no one is perfect on this earth.





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