1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about how to relax and recharge when 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: you don't get a full Friday evening to Monday morning. 5 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: Weekend weekends are great, but for various reasons, people can 6 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: wind up with short ones. Maybe you've got a side hustle, 7 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: or you're taking weekend classes, Maybe your days off just 8 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: don't happen consecutively, or maybe your job is going through 9 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: a particularly busy season. That was the case for Before 10 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: Breakfast listener named Robin. Robin wrote in that I co 11 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: own a small business with my brother that is a 12 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 1: motorcycle dealership, and therefore we trade six days per week. However, 13 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: Robin says sometimes there are exceptions and other bits and 14 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,279 Speaker 1: pieces get in the way of our five day week. Events. 15 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 1: People on leave extremely busy periods. We are currently entering 16 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: our busiest period of the year, which is great because 17 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: we have to take advantage of this period to make money. 18 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: But I'll be working four to five weeks in a 19 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: row where I need to do a six day week. 20 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: I love my job, but that doesn't stop me needing 21 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: downtime and time away. What strategies do you suggest I 22 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: can use to make myself feel like I've actually had 23 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: a break from work. I hate that I feel like 24 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: I blink and my weekend four pm Saturday a m 25 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: Monday is gone. We all hate this feeling of a 26 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: weekend gone too quickly. So here are my tips for 27 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: Robin and anyone else who has a six day work week. First, 28 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: if you have limited leisure time, then your leisure time 29 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: is too precious to be totally leisurely about leisure. That 30 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: means it's important to be intentional about your time. No, 31 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: I'm not saying you have to schedule every minute. Robin 32 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: deals without enough at work, and probably you do too. 33 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: Go into your thirty nine hours off for however long 34 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: it is, with say three ideas of things that would 35 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: add to your energy levels. Maybe one could happen that 36 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 1: first evening, one the next day, and one the next evening. 37 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: Nothing crazy, but something to make the time feel rich 38 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: and full. We did an episode a few weeks ago 39 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: about planning a great long weekend. During that episode, I 40 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: suggested doing something physical, something social, and something spiritual in 41 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: order to have a good weekend. Well, you might not 42 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: hit all of those in a thirty nine hour weekend, 43 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: you could certainly try. I think it's also good to 44 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: have an idea of what you'll do during downtime so 45 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: you don't mindlessly reconnect with the office. If you've only 46 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: got one day off, you really don't need to plug 47 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: in during this time. A good book might be a 48 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: better idea. And finally, just as with any other weekend, 49 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: you want to compress the chores and errands. There's always 50 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,679 Speaker 1: stuff you have to do, but if you've only got 51 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: one day off, you don't want to spend all of 52 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: it battling mall traffic. So set a small window. If 53 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: it doesn't happen during this time, it probably wasn't that important. 54 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: So I gave these suggestions to Robin, and shortly after 55 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: that got a note back. Here's what Robin reported. I 56 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 1: have to say I had a great weekend. I took 57 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: your advice and tried to plan my time carefully. I 58 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: got home from work around four thirty pm Saturday. My 59 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: partner was away until Sunday night, so I had the 60 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: house to myself and decided to do some baking. This 61 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:37,119 Speaker 1: is my spiritual It uplifts my soul so Robin spent 62 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: a lovely evening making pumpkin pie and pumpkin soup. Sunday 63 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: morning featured some chores, in this case getting the car washed. 64 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: I had needed to do this for weeks, Robin reported, 65 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: but reading a book while waiting improved the experience immensely. Continuing, 66 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: I then picked up my pushbike and headed to my 67 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: friend's house for an hour bike ride. That's the physical part, 68 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: and felt so good afterwards. Robin and the friend then 69 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: had breakfast at a cafe together, checking the social box 70 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: as well. So literally before noon on Sunday, Robin had 71 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: already done something spiritual, something physical, and something social. There 72 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: were a few extended family obligations in the afternoon, but 73 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: then Robin reports that I ducked home and picked up 74 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 1: my partner to go to dinner he had been home 75 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: a few hours earlier, and did a quick tidy of 76 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: the house when with another set of friends, and then 77 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: we were home by eight thirty to get a good 78 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 1: night's sleep. So there are plenty of people with three 79 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: day weekends who don't manage this much fun, And it 80 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: all happened because Robin was intentional. Even if there wasn't 81 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: that much time. If you have short weekends, what do 82 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: you do to make the most of them? You can 83 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: let me know at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media 84 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for 85 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: listening and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 86 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 87 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 88 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. 89 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: That's B the number four, then breakfast p o D. 90 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 91 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast 92 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 93 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 94 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from 95 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 96 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.