How you take a weekend break can change your life? 4 tips for taking a good break

On Friday night, you're excited, thinking, "It's finally the weekend!", but before you know it, it's Sunday night. "Huh? What did I do in the end...?" All you can remember is your smartphone history. I'm sure everyone has experienced a sad ending like that at least once.

Even though it's a precious day off, for some reason I don't feel like I've properly rested. This is a "weekend dilemma" that many people face. After somehow making it through the weekdays of nonstop work, you want to use the weekend to reset your body and mind. However, if you don't take the time to rest properly, you may end up carrying over fatigue.

So, today we'll introduce four tips for getting the best rest without disrupting your daily routine. They're all simple, but if you put them into practice, you'll be able to get out of the "I feel tired even though I've rested" problem.

1. Limit your morning oversleeping to no more than two hours

I completely understand the feeling of wanting to sleep until noon on my days off. The happiness of being able to sleep in bed for a second time is like a reward for the weekend.

However, you should be careful not to sleep too much. If you wake up more than three hours later than on weekdays, you will have a hard time falling asleep that night, and your rhythm will be completely thrown off come Monday morning. This is similar to the condition known as "jet lag."

A good rule of thumb is to wake up within two hours of your normal weekday wake-up time. If you wake up at 7am on weekdays, it's best to wake up by 9am on weekends. Of course, you can enjoy a second nap, but rather than wasting your morning on your smartphone, it's better to get up early and head to your favorite cafe.

2. Divide your day into morning, afternoon, and evening

On days off, we tend to have the illusion that we have infinite time. As a result, it's common to find yourself watching YouTube or social media and then it's already evening.

In such cases, you can avoid failure by dividing your day into three parts - morning, afternoon, and evening - and roughly planning how to spend your time.

• Use the morning for relaxation and personal care
• Spend the afternoon actively going out or pursuing hobbies
• Nighttime preparation for the next week

Just by taking it easy in the morning and getting serious in the afternoon, you can make your days off more fulfilling. On the other hand, if you pack too much into your schedule at night, you'll end up feeling tired the next morning, so be careful.

3. Include a little bit of something out of the ordinary

Weekdays tend to be filled with routine, which is why it's recommended to incorporate a little something out of the ordinary into your weekends.

It doesn't have to be a big trip.

• Drinking coffee at a cafe for the first time
• Play music you don't normally listen to
• Finish reading a book you've started in one go
• Leave your smartphone at home and go for a walk

These small stimuli are the trigger to loosen up the mind. Just doing something different from usual refreshes the brain.

4. Use naps to your advantage

Have you ever dozed off on the sofa on a weekend afternoon and woken up before it was evening? Actually, napping is a very good habit.

Time is important. A quick 15-30 minute nap will leave you feeling refreshed and ready for the afternoon, but sleeping for more than an hour can be counterproductive and affect your nighttime sleep.

We recommend the "coffee nap." If you drink coffee before taking a nap, the caffeine will kick in just as you wake up, helping you wake up more easily. Try incorporating this as a little trick to make the most of your holiday afternoon.

Common "weekend mistakes"

• "Since we're here, we might as well pack our schedules in too much, and end up even more exhausted than on a weekday."
• "Catching up on sleep is the best!" I thought, but I ended up sleeping until noon, but I couldn't sleep at night and was completely defeated the next morning.
• I only intended to watch a little, but before I knew it, I was watching Netflix all day

You'll probably find them so relatable that you'll even laugh, but simply being able to avoid these common occurrences can make a huge difference in how satisfied you are with your weekend.

Summary: Knowing how to rest is also a skill

The weekend is not just a day to rest, but an important time to prepare for the next week.

• Sleep in no more than two hours in the morning
• Divide your day into morning, afternoon, and evening
• Incorporate a little something out of the ordinary
• Reset with a short nap

Just by being aware of these four things, you can say goodbye to feeling tired even after having rested.

A break isn't a reward, it's an investment in your future self. Find a way to take a break that suits you best so you can start the next week feeling energized.

Then, on Monday morning, when your coworker asks you, "How was your weekend?", you'll be able to proudly answer: "It was incredibly refreshing."