8 things I started doing on weekends that completely changed my mental health

I used to spend my weekends catching up on everything I didn't have time for during the week. Laundry, grocery shopping, meal prep, cleaning the apartment. By Sunday night, I'd feel more exhausted than I did on Friday evening.

One Saturday morning, I woke up feeling completely drained. Not physically tired, but mentally empty. I realized I was treating my weekends like an extension of my to-do list instead of actual rest time. Something had to change.

So I started experimenting with small adjustments to how I spent those two precious days. Nothing drastic or Instagram-worthy. Just simple shifts that gave my brain the breathing room it desperately needed.

Here's what actually made a difference.

1. I stopped checking work emails after Friday at 6pm

This one sounds obvious, but it took me months to actually do it. I'd tell myself I was just "staying on top of things" by scanning my inbox on Saturday morning. In reality, I was keeping my brain in work mode when it needed to switch off.

The first weekend I tried this, I felt anxious. What if something urgent came up? What if my boss needed me? But nothing catastrophic happened. The emails were still there on Monday, and I handled them just fine.

That mental boundary between work time and personal time turned out to be one of the most important things I could do for myself. My mind needed permission to fully step away, and setting that hard stop gave it exactly that.

2. I started planning one thing I genuinely looked forward to

My weekends used to just happen to me. I'd wake up, see what needed doing, and react. There was no intention behind how I spent my time.

Now I make sure there's at least one thing on the calendar that I'm excited about. Sometimes it's trying a new café in Vila Madalena with a girlfriend. Other times it's as simple as blocking out an hour to read on the balcony without interruptions.

The key is that it's something for me, not another obligation. It gives the weekend shape and gives me something to look forward to when the weekdays get heavy. That small act of planning joy makes the whole weekend feel different.

3. I let myself sleep in without guilt

During the week, my alarm goes off at 7am no matter what. For the longest time, I kept that same schedule on weekends because I thought sleeping in was lazy or wasteful.

But my body needed that extra rest. I was running on fumes by Friday, and forcing myself up early on Saturday wasn't helping anyone. As noted by sleep researcher Matthew Walker, chronic sleep deprivation affects everything from mood regulation to decision-making ability.

Now I let myself wake up naturally on at least one weekend morning. Sometimes that's 7:30am, sometimes it's 9am. My body knows what it needs, and listening to it instead of fighting it has made a noticeable difference in how I feel throughout the day.

4. I cook something new just for the fun of it

Cooking during the week is functional. I'm making meals that are healthy, quick, and feed the household. There's not much room for experimentation when you're on a tight schedule.

Weekends are different. I started choosing one recipe that looked interesting or challenging and giving myself permission to take my time with it. Last weekend I made homemade pasta from scratch. The weekend before that, I tried a Brazilian moqueca recipe my neighbor recommended.

The process itself became meditative. Chopping vegetables slowly, measuring spices carefully, watching something transform in the pan. It pulled me completely into the present moment and gave my brain a break from its usual loop of planning and problem-solving.

Plus, we get to eat something delicious at the end.

5. I moved my body without calling it exercise

I used to think working out on weekends meant hitting the gym or doing a structured workout. When I didn't have the energy for that, I'd skip movement altogether and feel guilty about it.

Then I started thinking about movement differently. Walking to the market instead of driving. Dancing in the kitchen while making breakfast. Playing with Emilia at the park and actually running around with her instead of just watching from a bench.

This shift removed the pressure and made moving my body feel natural again. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal has written extensively about how any form of movement can boost mood and reduce stress, not just formal exercise.

Some weekends I still do a proper workout because I feel like it. Other weekends I just move in ways that feel good in the moment. Both count.

6. I protected at least one hour of complete silence

My weekdays are full of noise. Emilia's laughter and occasional tears, Lara chatting while she plays with her, my husband's work calls, music playing in the background, neighbors outside. I love the liveliness of it all, but my brain rarely gets true quiet.

So I started carving out one hour each weekend where I'm alone with no stimulation. No phone, no music, no conversation. Sometimes I use it to journal. Sometimes I just sit with my coffee and stare out the window.

The first few times felt uncomfortable. My mind raced to fill the silence with thoughts and plans. But eventually it learned to settle. That hour became a reset button that helped me process the week and clear out mental clutter I didn't even know was building up.

7. I said no to social plans that felt like obligations

I'm naturally social and I love spending time with friends. But I used to say yes to every invitation because I didn't want to seem rude or risk missing out.

The problem was that some weekends I'd have back-to-back plans and end Monday feeling like I'd never gotten a break. Not all social time is restorative, especially when you're already running on empty.

Now I'm more selective. If an invitation makes me feel genuinely excited, I say yes. If my first reaction is "I should go" or "I guess I could," I politely decline. My real friends understand that sometimes I need quiet weekends at home, and the ones who don't aren't people I need to keep accommodating.

This boundary has protected my energy in ways I didn't expect.

8. I ended Sunday evenings with a simple ritual

Sunday nights used to fill me with dread. The weekend was over, and I'd face Monday feeling unprepared and anxious.

I started creating a small ritual to close out the weekend intentionally. After Emilia goes to bed, I make a cup of tea, light a candle, and spend fifteen minutes writing down three things that went well over the weekend and one thing I'm looking forward to in the week ahead.

It sounds small, but it shifted how I think about the transition from weekend to weekday. Instead of seeing Monday as the enemy, I started seeing it as just another day with its own possibilities. That tiny mental shift took the edge off the Sunday scaries and helped me sleep better.

Final thoughts

None of these changes required a complete life overhaul. I didn't quit my job, hire extra help, or suddenly have more hours in the day. I just started using my weekend time differently.

The biggest shift was realizing that rest isn't something I have to earn. It's not a reward for being productive enough during the week. It's a basic need, like food or water, and treating it that way changed everything.

Your weekends might look different from mine. Maybe you need more social connection instead of less. Maybe you need structure instead of flexibility. The point isn't to copy what I did, but to notice what your brain actually needs and give yourself permission to prioritize it.

Start with one small change and see what happens. You might be surprised at how much lighter you feel.