Lie in on Sundays
“My partner and I like to lie in on Sundays with no alarm set . My life is full of activity and pushing limits, so it is very important to balance this with some ‘slow time’. I’ll still go out running or biking on a Sunday but I’ll just go do it a little later. This is also quality time to relax with my partner.” Jessica Bonstein, senior health and wellbeing physiologist at Nuffield Health
Have some alone time
“Health and wellbeing advice is so often about things to do, but for me one essential every weekend is just to ‘be’. That might mean different things to different people, but for me it is about spending time completely alone and preferably in silence. It gives me time to process my thoughts, to relieve any stress and check in with myself. We often get into an almost robotic stress mode where we just motor on. This interrupts that and allows me to settle back into my body and mind.” Dr Emma Svanberg, psychologist and author of ‘Parenting for Humans’
Swap a scroll for something paper-based
“I know I can idly while away hours scrolling on my phone. So, not wanting to fritter away a weekend immersed in social media, I keep alternatives to hand such as a book or a crossword. It is much more calming to our nervous system to dive into a book than to trawl through endless imagery that flashes across our eyeline, and our body enters a more relaxed state when tackling a crossword than it does when checking work emails.” Anna Mathur, psychotherapist and author of the forthcoming book ‘The Uncomfortable Truth’
Swim with my husband
“Every Saturday and Sunday, my husband and I swim laps at a nearby pool. It is a fantastic way to get exercise and soak up vitamin D, leaving us energised and healthy. Afterwards, we chat in the hot tub, a relaxing way to unwind and reconnect. Sometimes, we follow that up with a walk along the beach. This shared routine is a perfect blend of physical activity and quality time.” Dr Sharon Grossman, psychologist and author of ‘The Solution to Burnout’
Have a family reset day
“Family life can often be really busy, and something that comes up a lot in my work is how relentless that can feel, and how irritable it can make us. So we try to have a ‘reset’ day once a week, where demands are low, expectations are even lower and we can just hang out and spend time in each other’s presence.” Dr Emma Svanberg
Make a family meal sacrosanct
“One thing I really prioritise at weekends is either lunch or dinner on a Sunday with my family. It’s often a home-cooked roast dinner. As a family we metaphorically chew over each other’s highs and lows of the week just gone, effectively offering counsel to each other and look forward to the week ahead. Life can be busy in the week, so it is an important highlight.” Dr Ayan Panja, NHS GP, author of ‘The Health Fix’ and host of the podcast ‘Saving Lives in Slow Motion’
Destress with scrapbooking
“I’ve recently started scrapbooking, which I find a useful way to destress after a busy week. By keeping track of some of my favourite memories and being artistic with them, it is a good release from work, as I can have some creative freedom and don’t have to abide by any rules. It is a hobby that allows me to express myself and also distracts my mind for a short time. These are the kind of things I am always recommending to my clients.” Maysie Steadman, academy health and wellbeing physiologist at Nuffield Health
Keep to a routine
“As a health professional, maintaining a consistent routine over the weekends is crucial to my wellbeing. While many people view weekends as a time to let loose and break from their weekday habits, I believe in the power of consistency and discipline. This means I don’t skip my workouts – physical activity is a non-negotiable part of my daily life, and this also sets a positive example for my kids, as we often enjoy outdoor activities together – and I still stick to my regular bedtime and wake-up times. By keeping my weekends structured similarly to my weekdays, I avoid the pitfall of viewing the weekend as a magical escape. This approach not only keeps me grounded but also ensures that I start the new week feeling balanced.” Dr Gabrielle Lyon, author of ‘Forever Strong: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well’
Eat a mindful breakfast
“On the weekend, I enjoy a mindful breakfast at home. Unlike during the week, there is no rushing. Typically, I ensure my breakfasts include a source of protein and healthy fats. For example, I may have a smoked salmon and spinach omelette with a side of probiotic-rich kimchi and some sourdough. Alternatively, I may opt for a stack of pancakes made with eggs, banana, oats, milled flaxseed and almond flour, topped with some berries and a dollop of full-fat Greek yoghurt.” Sophie Trotman, nutritionist
Leave my phone in another room
“I am usually awful at replying to messages on the weekend because I do try to spend as little time as possible on my phone, which means it is usually somewhere upstairs. Our brains have a limited amount of cognitive resources, which need to be replenished on a daily basis through sleep and stress-reducing activities. Using our phones consumes cognitive energy, which can lead to mental fatigue. The weekend is prime time to allow your body and brain to fully replenish our cognitive stores.” Nicole Vignola, neuroscientist and author of ‘Rewire: Break the Cycle, Alter Your Thoughts and Create Lasting Change’
Give myself a Dose of positivity
“My goal every weekend is to do one or two activities for each of my primary four brain chemicals. I call these Dose: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins. First, to boost my dopamine – the motivation chemical – I clean my apartment. Second, to boost my oxytocin – the love chemical – I ensure I spend some time socialising, actively listening, making eye contact, and getting a hug in.
“Third, to boost my serotonin – the mood chemical – I ensure I get outdoors into nature. While there, I remove my headphones and immerse my brain in the sounds of nature. Finally, to boost my endorphins – the de-stressing chemical – I ensure I get some physical movement in. This typically involves either walking, stretching, going to the gym, or having sex. All of these activities are excellent for boosting endorphins, leading to your brain feeling much calmer.” Tj Power, neuroscientist and author of the forthcoming book ‘The Dose Effect’
Join everyone else on the sofa
“If I’m not careful, I spend the whole weekend facilitating fun and rest for others. To counteract stress and avoid burnout, I make a conscious effort to spend time joining the kids on the sofa at weekends.” Anna Mathur
Spend quality time with my dogs
“A new study showed the impact of interacting with dogs on brain health. Playing with animals leads to significant improvements in brain function, increasing focus and reducing stress. This research showed that playing with your dog and walking them lowers brainwave activity into relaxation; and when grooming them, into beta activity, which is a state of flow without stress. Not only that, but overall stress levels were lowered in the participants after they interacted with their dogs.” Nicole Vignola
Move – in any way
“Every weekend, I exercise at least once. Neuroscience shows that exercise improves all cognitive functions: our memory, attention, creativity and mood all improve if we are physically active. The immediate effects probably come from the brain getting more blood flow. But I make sure not to think exercise only counts if it is some kind of sport: it might be walking or gardening. Anything that involves movement – the brain counts every step.” Dr Anders Hansen, psychiatrist and author of ‘The Mind-Body Method’
Ensure my future-self gets nutritious lunches
“Knowing I’m often out at lunch times on weekdays, I fill a slow cooker with a one-pot recipe, rich in vegetables. I freeze the finished meal in soup freezer trays, ready to heat up and put in a flask each day.” Anna Mathur
Lift weights – and eat protein
“After 40, you lose five pounds of muscle per decade unless you are actively gaining it, so I am obsessed with preserving and building muscle. The weekend is when I am fully on my game of 150-160g of protein, creatine and weight-lifting.” Dr Sara Gottfried, medical doctor and author of ‘The Autoimmune Cure’
Implement boundaries
“The boundaries we set for ourselves can have a huge impact on helping to avoid overwhelm, stress and burnout. So, for me, the ones I put in place at the weekend are around ensuring I get enough rest, both physically and mentally. This can be doing the things I enjoy, and generally slowing the pace down. I also have a no-checking-work-emails boundary.” Helen Marie, therapist and author of ‘Choose You: Gentle Words to Help You Heal and Grow’
Plan for the week ahead
“Planning for the week ahead is one of the things I do to help myself relax. While I share an online diary with my husband, I like to sketch out my schedule with good old-fashioned pen and paper. I timetable all my activities, then work out where I can slot them into the week. I also plan a menu for the week so I can sort my weekend shop. It ensures I have a balanced diet for the week and also waste less food. I tend to do it on a Friday night, then I feel more able to switch off for the weekend.” Dr Anita Mitra, gynaecologist and author of ‘The Gynae Geek’ and ‘Dealing with Problem Periods’
Read
“I love to read, and the weekends are when I tend to do most of my reading, because that is when I have the most time. In particular, I’ve been forcing myself to read in times of boredom instead of using my phone.” Nicole Vignola
Go forest bathing
“Getting out in nature is a great stress-reducer: spending time in the forest has been shown to lower levels of cortisol. Exposure to a forest environment has also been shown to reduce inflammatory cytokines (molecules that impact inflammation in the body), suggesting that people can potentially reduce the effects of conditions associated with inflammation (obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease) when they spend more time under a blanket of trees.” Kate Scarlata, dietician and co-author of ‘Mind Your Gut: The science-based, whole-body guide to living well with IBS’
Catch up on admin and chores
“At the end of a busy week in the clinic, I use my weekend to catch up on the week’s admin. Doing this at the weekend helps me to start the week in a better place, and being on top of all my work gives me a sense of achievement and makes me feel positive. I’ll also ensure any house chores get done over the weekend; I find a clean house helps promote a clear mind.” Pradnya Pisal, consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at London Gynaecology
Adopt a ‘CMB’ routine
“My weekends are an exercise in unapologetic grounding in the stuff that matters most to me. I call it my ‘CMB’ routine – Connect, Move, Breathe. It has taken me years to test and embed these principles, but now this resting and refuelling has become my new pattern.” Dr Alia Bojilova, psychologist and author of ‘The Resilience Toolkit’
Socialise with friends
“The weekend is when I meet up with one of my friends for a couple of hours for coffee and cake, a trip to the theatre or for a long walk. Social connections are so important for our mental health, so it is important for me that I make time for my friends – it always gives me a boost after a long week.” Pradnya Pisal
Apply magnesium body butter
“Magnesium is fantastic for soothing the nervous system and aiding an excellent night’s sleep. I like to apply magnesium body butter after a bath or shower just before bed on a Sunday.” Sophie Trotman
Embrace ‘too little’ over ‘too much’
“Koreans have an old saying that too little is better than too much. We believe that overzealousness and too much ambition can be harmful to mental health, even though our modern society tends to endorse this quality. Even with our weekend activities, I always consider this and try not to pack too much in.” Rhee Kun Hoo, psychiatrist and author of ‘If You Live to 100, You Might As Well Be Happy’
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