If you are like many teachers, weekends have become the catch all days. It is the time of the week to get everything done that you didn’t finish Monday through Friday. But, when this happens, the weekend no longer feels like true days off. When you don’t get that time to unwind and recharge, you can become burned out! With a little extra effort during the week, you can truly have a weekend.
1. Do your laundry during the week
I mean it! Keep up with laundry during the week. Don’t fall behind! I know you are extra tired after a long day of work, but the point of these tips are to free up your weekend! Wouldn’t it be nice if you could truly have some time off?
2. Finish your lesson plans (or other work for the following week) by Thursday!
Don’t work on school work over the weekend! Well, try not to anyway. I know, I know, easier said than done. But, if you work really hard during the week and stay focused on being prepared for the following week, you can do it! Trust me, I’ve done it! Don’t leave it for the weekend! Why by Thursday? Because then Friday can become your catch all instead of Saturday! If you need to run a few copies for the following week, you can get it done on Friday instead of running up to the school over the weekend. Make it your goal to have everything prepared by Thursday.
3. Clean up every night
It is easy to just let the house get messy, let the dishes pile up in the sink, and think to yourself, I’ll catch up over the weekend. But don’t fall into that habit! Spend a little bit of time every night, tidying up and making sure your house is picked up. Don’t leave dishes in the sink. I try to load my dishwasher every night. When I get home from work the next afternoon, I turn on some of my tv shows, empty the dishwasher, and cook dinner. Here’s another tip–vacuum your house Friday evenings. You will wake up Saturday to an already clean house and will feel refreshed!
4. Work on lists during the week
All week long, keep a running list on your phone of what you need when you go out this weekend. (You know how things randomly pop in your mind during the day? Shoot, we are almost out of ketchup. I need to remember to get some. Or…I have to pick up a birthday card for my sister this weekend.) I keep two lists on my phone–a grocery list, and an errand list. That way, when I go out on the weekend to run my errands, I know exactly what I need, and don’t have to waste time making my list. I always have my phone with me, so its easy to keep working on the list.
5. Eat out or pick up food
Take a day off every week! I prefer to do this on the weekend, so I truly feel like I have a day off of work and cooking! However, if you enjoy cooking, spend your weekend doing that, and pick a day during the week to pick up food. There are so many restaurants that allow you to order online and do curbside pick up! I have found that simply having dinner taken care of one night a week can really help me manage everything else I need to do.
