Category: Latest

What do you do on your day off? Does work pour over and spill on your supposed leisure time? Are you unaware of how to spend your free time?

I know, some days you just don’t feel like doing anything and you’d call it a day. If you’re remotely like me, sometimes it could even extend to a week. It’s a hiatus that’s hard to deal and break.

And I’ll tell you that’s okay. Don’t feel guilty at all!

Because after weeks of hard work and constant movement, our body will eventually say, “Yo, I need a break. Can we stop and catch up for a while?”

But oops, if this “break” is too long and you feel you’re in a rut, what to do?

 

➡️ Just a heads up: The following post contains some affiliate and promotional links. However, I recommend them fully because I really love them and find them extremely valuable. ☺️

1. Watch and binge!

You’ve heard of “Netflix and chill” right?
Or iFlix. Or Google Movies.

via GIPHY

Whatever your provider is, you get the point.

This one may be a cliché but the first thing I do when I’m exhausted is enjoy some visual entertainment. I go on an adventure with a movie like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, be swept away by romance like City of Angels, Little Manhattan or Chasing Liberty, or ride on the thriller train with Stranger Things and Lord of The Rings.

Binge for 3 days to a week if your body is really needing a wind down. Listen to it and it will tell you how much time you need.

After that, the negativity you’re feeling is out of your system.

It’s a decent purge, I tell ya.

 

2. Catch up on what you saved

Saving too many bookmarks full of blog posts, articles and videos that you thought you’ll ever watch but never got around to? Me too.

Since I use Pomello, a little Pomodoro timer when I’m working, the pockets of 5-10 minute breaks are then my chance to catch up on some of them.

You can do this too and set aside a minimal of 20-30 minutes. And if you’re ever more vacant than that, go for an hour or three.

 

3. See the sun and feel the outdoors

So much immersion plugged all day to the internet can wear you down. Break the cycle for a bit by enjoying the outdoors and the sunshine.

You’d be surprised at what 20 minutes of walking or playing outside can do to your mood.

As a mama, this part is inserted in my weekly routine when Avis insists on going outside to the clubhouse grounds. It’s really hard to say no to that kid you know? Especially if she’s been cooped up and busy with Youtube or indoor playing for days. Yikes.

If you’re totally busy like my daughter, you could maybe get the chance by walking when you’re doing your daily commute instead of conveniently riding to a near destination.

Another idea is to bike your way around if you have one. It’s effortless, laid back but nonetheless a good exercise.

Or ya know, just put the damn smartphone and go out in your yard or the curb of your street! Stand there and breathe the air, smell the earth and feel the sun. ☀️🌱🍃

 

4. Do short minute exercises

Feeling sluggish lately?

It’s usually because of lack of exercise, just ask my friend Coach Sofia.

Lack of exercise can make you stagnant, which seems reasonable because low levels of vitamin D can lead to fatigue and depression.

To help you out, try Sofia’s 15 minute workout here.

A little bit of movement can go a long way.

Personally I like High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and plyometrics for 10-20 minutes each round. It challenges my body to rely on weight and intensity to work out my muscles especially my legs and core.

Here are other tips for you to boot:

• 5 Yoga Poses For More Energy – Anverelle
• 10 Reasons Why I Love Working Out – Anverelle
• The Scientific 7-Minute Workout – The New York Times
• 15 Minutes & You’re Done Workouts – Real Simple
• 8 At Home Workouts To Lose Weight & Build Muscle – Men’s Fitness

 

5. Go through your social calendar

Just cause you’re working or you’re busy with a project or a client doesn’t mean you can ignore your social needs.

Check your social calendar to see if you have upcoming events.

Hmm. Probably none? I hear you.

Use this time to catch up with friends and relatives. Like they say, “No man is an island”.

Each week you can rotate with different friends, sorting them by proximity or how close their location is.

Budget constraints or don’t feel like going out? No problem.

Allot one day to a particular friend you’ve been dying to catch up all year long and do just that. Choose from Facebook, Viber, Snapchat, Hangouts or Twitter. Even Instagram nowadays is picking up their game on messaging. But yo one word of advice, phone calls and video calls are so much better than typing.

 

6. Write your to-do’s for the upcoming day or week

I know this might sound counter-intuitive, but trust me, there’s nothing like a freed up schedule.

I use Evernote (get your FREE account here!) to jot down my thoughts, notes, to-do’s and plans. It’s very useful and I highly recommend it.

Another free service I use is Trello. It’s like a virtual corkboard where you can organize your tasks. They have apps for the web, the iPhone, iPad, and Android models too so you can bring it anywhere you go.

For now these are my top two, but I promise to write an ultimate list of productivity and management apps and software I use!

To get first news, sign up on my newsletter and I’ll let you know when it’s published!

 

7. Unplug and meditate

Go on a technology detox and shut off your interaction from any gadget during your day off. It’s good for the soul while it lets you reflect on your overall being.

I do yoga and pilates on my spare time, and on days where I play with my daughter or I feel down, I refrain from checking my social media.

It’s hard to keep up when you’re back but hey it’s worth it.

No confusing notifications and headaches for a while!

 

8. Attend an event

Empty days like the weekends can be repetitive. Shake it up for a change by participating in a local event like a conference, a meetup or a bazaar.

💡 Tip: Use the Facebook events feature, Eventbrite and Meetup.com to discover events near you.

 

9. Date yourself

When was the last time you went on a date?

Isn’t there something magical and romantic in it, don’t you think? While your romantic relationship may or may not exist, it’s still very important to nurture the one with ourselves.

💡 Here are some ideas:

• Set up a cozy fine shrine for you, complete with your vision board, dreams and cut out clippings for your future better self.
• Treat yourself to a nice hearty homemade meal – candlelights recommended.
• Go to a place where you can be quiet and alone with your soul, like a park or a graveyard (yep! It’s not that spooky in my opinion! Famous writers do it!)
• Buy flowers and address it to yourself, or pick some from the local flower shop. You can also buy a potted plant and grow it on your own.

 

10. Write yourself a letter

When you’re not having your best week, writing yourself a letter can be therapeutic.

There are 3 forms for this:

1. Letter of forgiveness. Forgive yourself for feeling guilty and down. There are best days and worst ones, and from my experience, you just have to roll with life to thrive and survive. Forgive yourself for working too hard or too little, because that’s okay. Your days will vary and know that the only pressure you feel is from you.
2. Letter of appreciation. Gratitude, they say, is the best medicine to a really bad day. Thank yourself for who you are, what you’re capable of, and how far you’ve come can uplift you.
3. Letter to your future self. Time capsule, anyone? I was watching Peppa Pig with my two-year-old daughter and in one episode they decide to make a time capsule. It’s a really neat idea to have something from the past uncovered in the future. My best bet is you write something that you’d want to read later on. It could be like a dialogue or a discussion of your goals and see years from now if it will happen. Now, that’s magic folks!

 

11. Join a community

It’s a great feeling to belong somewhere. Whether it be online or offline, finding a group where you share common interests is fun, engaging and enlightening.

A sense of belonging is one of the cornerstones in achieving your greater self.

Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

Yep. That one.

Find one of the strongest pursuits in your field of interests (say, fitness, blogging or cosmetics) and search a community for it. Chances are, there’s already an existing one waiting to be found.

RELATED: How to Find Your Tribe, Wellness & Empowerment

 

 

12. Do something good

Research shows doing something good makes you feel good. So why not do a little nice activity today?

[excerpt] They found that the more people participated in meaningful activities, the happier they were and the more purposeful their lives felt.

Doing good for the world or for someone increases your happiness and fulfillment. Not to mention it’s a double jackpot too!

How’s that for a change?

💡 Some ideas include:

• Volunteering for a non-profit on your weekend
• Visiting a local charity or orphanage on a Saturday
• Offer to take up household chores for your family
• Type someone’s paper
• Buy someone a subscription to a service they use, like Spotify, Evernote, Trello
• Bake cookies and send them in bags around your neighborhood
• Thank the regular blue collar people who come by your house like the newspaper guy, the post man, the street vendor or even the security guard at your favorite establishments and tell them you’re grateful for their service
• Send an e-card randomly to a friend
• Put together a playlist

 

And if you’re still feeling a little low and can’t get over the hump, here are 5 energizing habits you can DEFINITELY do any day:

1. Brush your teeth. 
   It sounds mundane but there’s this wonder of having clean teeth and minty breath to rejuvenate you!

   When I’m demotivated, it’s surprising how I break the funk once I brush my teeth. Turns out, I’m just annoyed by not having clean teeth. Maybe this’ll work for you too! 🙂

2. Take a bath.
   
   Cold baths are for when you need a jolt and warm baths are for lazy, long sluggish days.
   
   Choosing the right kind of bath is like a make or break. Because hey, if you’re feeling lazy and you so unknowingly jump into cold shower… guess what? It’ll put your mood off even more. It’s like drinking black coffee when you’re really thirsty.You’re not getting what your body needs.

   Rather, take a warm bath to soothe your senses, open up your pores and enjoy a relaxing and healing magic of water.

   On the other hand, don’t get a warm bath when you need to hurry!
   Got it? Good.

3. Inspire yourself. 
   Successful and goal-oriented people surround themselves with inspiration.

   It could be people or things, places or quotes you find on BrainyQuotes (don’t you just loooove the many quotes there?!).I, myself, use a Chrome extension called Momentum to get my day started. It’s my substitute for coffee (I quit 10 months ago) and it gives me a glimpse of the time, an inspirational quote, my to-do’s, the weather and my favorite bookmarks. It’s become my essential for the day.

   And no, this isn’t a sponsored post mwahaha. I wish! But Momentum is cool as a polar bear that I would absolutely suggest having on your Chrome browser. Sorry Safari and Microsoft Edge users. They’re not available for you yet.

   You can inspire yourself too, by talking to a living inspiration. Have you always wanted to chat with that artist or maker you admire?

   Go ahead and message them!
   You never know, they might just reply! It’ll definitely make your day.

   And while you’re at it, thank them for their talent and go ask them useful questions like what do they do when they’re down, how do they find inspiration in what they do and why they do it.

4. Have a planner.
   
   I’ve heard of people who are not much of planners and all I can say is, even if you’re one of the crowd, there’s always room for a little planning.

   Life just calls for it if you haven’t noticed.If you don’t like the idea of dotting your I’s and crossing your T’s then think of it as a rough preparation.Planning makes your thoughts tangible, and that’s what makes it so powerful to help you get over the slump.

   I recommend one with a monthly/yearly calendar and ample spaces to write appointments as well as blank spaces for your mini and macro goals.

   A perfect example would be my GYFS workbook – did I mention it’s only 5 pages?

   You’ll love it once you get it!
   Sign up below to get it free straight to your inbox 🙂 yas, it’s fuh-reeee!

   Get your Gear Yourself For Success Workbook Now

    

   Are you stuck in a limbo? Don't know where to start with your goal?

   Master the skills of successful women today with this FREE workbook. Included is a BONUS page of 30 Tips For Success.

   100% Privacy. We don't spam.
5. Laugh and get a hug.
   
   Watch a comedy movie – I recommend anything Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler and Jason Segel.

   Crack a joke and chuckle at yourself for being corny.Get a hug from someone you love, or even a friendly stranger. Yes, your pets count too!Because it’s true, laughter and hugs are the best medicine.

 

There you go! I hope these tips sincerely help you.

Let me know what worked and what didn’t in the comments below. I would love to hear your feedback!

Need help? Want to start goal-setting or figuring out your life path but don’t know how?
Contact me here and I’ll respond to you as fast as I can. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links to some services but not directly affiliated with and promoted by the companies. Read more about this blog’s partnerships & disclosure policy for more information.