Weekend at last! Something you’re solooking forward to after a brutal week at work. Because there are so manythings to do during weekends to help you either decompress or get energized forthe week ahead. Whatever your plans are, it’s important to make the effectslast as long as possible to improve your life in the long run.

Here are 13 tips of how you can make themost of your weekends.

1.Don’t Oversleep

As tempted as you may be, oversleepingaffects your biological rhythm. We all need that beauty sleep, but don’t overdoit. Otherwise you’ll feel exhausted and cranky Monday morning. Make a habit toalways wake up at the same time every day. Include naps in your weekend routineas well, whether it’s for 10 minutes or 45. Why? Because naps help purgingnegative emotions, increase alertness, and enhance your abilities to learn.

2.Spend Time with Loved Ones

Reconnect with family members or friendsyou neglected lately. Don’t do it out of guilt or because you have to. Do itbecause you want to. Reach out to them to see how they are doing. Don’t callthem only when you need them. Return their calls if you were busy when theylast tried to reach you. Talk to them. Listen to them. Be there for them. Theimportance of human connection (hugging, touching) is vital for yourwell-being.

And if —for whatever work or lifecircumstances —you don’t have the family around you and not too many friendseither, reach out to people who share your interests. Get to know them. Hangout with them even if it’s just over a coffee or dinner, or plan a group citybreak. You’ll feel so much better and rejuvenated than spending time byyourself or worse, wallowing in loneliness.

3.Apply the “No Technology” Rule

Stay away from TV, iPad, iPhone and anyother electronic devices. Unplug! Your brain needs to clear up from all thestress you’ve put on yourself during the week. Why not read a book instead? Apaper one. Seriously, when was the last time you did that?

4.Spend Time Outdoors

Make friends with nature again. Pay attentionto its beauty. Breathe in the fresh air. Anything goes, from a simple walk onthe beach to a hiking trip. Just look for the best outdoor pursuits in yourarea for the weekend.

5.Take Time for Your Meals

There’s no rush to go to the next meeting orfinish that presentation by the end of day. You’re not on schedule. Feel thetaste and smell of what you’re eating. Enjoy it. Simply be in that momentwithout putting your mind in overdrive again and thinking already of whatyou’ll be doing next.

6.Speaking of Food –Eat Healthy

Did you miss preparing yourself that greenjuice because you were always on the run to get to work? Now you have noexcuse. It only takes a few minutes.

All you need is: organic celery, a peeledcucumber, some romaine, kale and a pear. A push on the juicer’s button and offit goes. When you’ll see how tasty it is, you’ll turn green juicing into ahabit that will last longer than a weekend. Other than that, eat more fruitsand veggies.

7.Declutter Your Home

If you still have some energy left from thepast week, try simplifying your environment a bit. That closet door won’t shut?Is your paperwork all over the place? Is the bathroom piled with tons ofproducts? A few suggestions should help, even though you may not be able tosort everything out in one weekend. What matters is that you’ll make greatprogress.

Look at what your favorite clothes are.This should make it easier to consider what to toss and donate to a charity.Organize your paperwork in filing cabinets and try to build some additionalstorage space if needed. Next, get rid of old bath and makeup products in thebathroom. Get more organized by using a simple glass containers set, or a wovenbasket strategically placed under the sink.

8.Stop Being a Chronic Worrier

Put that “what if” mindset aside. Refrainfrom worrying over things you can’t control like the government shutdown, theeconomy, the weather or anything like that. Instead you can control yourself.List the things that worry you and set an action next to each of those you cancontrol. Have you gained too much weight lately? Make a plan to do somethingabout it. Struggling with a deadline? Write down the steps you must follow toget that project done.

9.Meditate or Go to a Yoga Class

You don’t have to be a practicing Buddhistto meditate. It’s all about paying attention to the present moment. Meditationimproves your creative thinking, helps you focus and find happiness in yourlife. The regular practice of meditation is the best way to handle your stressand energy level. Yoga is also a form of meditation that helps tremendouslyfighting stress and achieving peacefulness of body and mind.

10.Pause and Pay Attention to Your Thoughts

What are they telling you? What is the vibethat you’re feeling? It can either be a positive or a negative one, never bothof them in the same time. If your thinking falls towards the negative side, trychange the words you use in your thoughts. We should stop using the words no,not and don’t to attract more of the things we want. Our response to the wordswe use instead will change completely. “Stay calm” sounds way better than“don’t panic, ” right?

11.Laugh, Laugh and Laugh Again

Best. Medicine. Ever. You can never haveenough of it. Humor improves mood in so many ways. It helps you cope withstress, strengthens your immune system and you are 40 percent less likely tosuffer a heart attack or stroke.

12.Express Gratitude

This is something you should be doing everyday, not only on weekends. Be grateful for your family, friends, health, forthe food you put on the table, the clothes you wear and the roof over yourhead. You can be grateful for so many little things: a new beginning, thesunshine, the air that you breathe, a baby that smiled at you. Just try toavoid comparing what you have with other people. It neither helps you nor them.Gratitude is the main source of happiness. When you’re happy, you radiate it onall those around you.

13.Cultivate Your Hobby

Whether you like snapping photos, bakingbread, painting, writing poetry, playing piano or gardening, give yourself thebenefit of spending time doing something you find enjoyable. You get the muchneeded mental relaxation and the satisfaction of pursuing your interests, whichleads to a sense of fulfillment.

There you are. 13 things to do duringweekends that will have a positive long term effect on your life. Put them intopractice and you’ll beat the Monday Blues!