This is how you use your weekend as a mini-vacation and get back to work on Monday full of energy

Are you not going on holiday or less this year? Fortunately, you don’t have to lie on a tropical beach, eat pasta in Italy or camp in France to recharge. Scientific research shows that maintaining a holiday mindset during the weekend already ensures that you can get back to work on Monday without a dip and fresh and full of energy .

All nice and nice of course, but how do you ensure such a holiday mindset during the weekend?

The research

It should come as no surprise that a holiday is good for your happiness, health, creativity and performance. It is wonderful to occasionally leave the worries of your work behind you and to fully and consciously enjoy beautiful moments. Scientists at the University of California discovered last year that you don’t necessarily have to pack your bags for that.

The participants of the study who were asked to go into the weekend with a holiday mindset, turned out to be a lot happier and more rested on Monday than the control group. This group treated their weekend like any other weekend. How come? The researchers think that people with a holiday mindset pay more attention to the present moment. This would give them more happiness in their free time.

Okay, it’s clear: think of your weekend as a mini-vacation. But how do you adopt such a holiday mindset?

Fun activities

While the study found that just thinking of your weekend as a mini-vacation made a world of difference, it also helped the group do more fun things. It really doesn’t have to be big, just eating together with others provided that real holiday feeling.

Do you want to take it a little more seriously? Then it is an idea to do something fun during your mini-vacation (out of your comfort zone) that you normally don’t have the time or energy for. Just like you would on vacation.

Take care of as few things as possible

The study also found that the holiday mindset group spent less time on household chores than usual. Quite logical, vacuuming doesn’t really give that holiday feeling. Do you feel like such a mini-vacation? Then make sure you have done as many things as possible during the week, so that you can fully enjoy the weekend.

Not every weekend

During some weekends you will simply have tasks to do. That’s not bad at all. The mini-vacation effect is lost if you apply the trick every weekend and it becomes routine. So take a mini-vacation once in a while, so that it remains special.

Make sure you have a good balance

Yes, on a vacation you do fun things. But you also take a nap by the pool, maybe read a good book and dine for hours. Make sure you have a good balance between fun activities and rest, so that you actually start fresh on Monday.