How to stay on track during off days?

What to do over the long weekend? How not to break the regime?

Let’s find out together with the experts.

Two years ago, everyone was looking forward to long holidays. And then they were renamed into lockdown – and now “coronavirus” vacations instead of joy cause only stress. Many are tormented by the question: what to do when the usual (even if not always favorite) rhythm of life is disturbed? Together with experts we have prepared a special instruction for this case.

International hatha yoga instructor, Dean of the Faculty of Sports Industry at Synergy University

Don’t break out of your regular routine – disruption of circadian rhythms can lead to serious health problems.

心理学家

It is very important these days, especially if you are prone to anxiety, on the contrary, encourage yourself with something pleasant. The most important thing is to take care of the base, that is, to satisfy the needs of the very first steps of Maslow’s pyramid: to eat good food, to sleep well, to have sex, to socialize with friends. Thanks to the Internet, there are now even all sorts of online bars and chat rooms where you can have a great time.

You can schedule a session with a psychologist, play sports with an online coach, find like-minded people on an online trip, and culturally enrich yourself at the same time. In general, free time (albeit within four walls) is a great time for those endeavors that have been put on hold.

What to do during the off days and how not to get out of mode?

If your plans for the coming week have been thwarted, we suggest you make the most of your time off.

Wake up as if it were a workday
Don’t get out of your regular routine – disrupting circadian rhythms can lead to serious health problems: cardiovascular disease, weight problems, diabetes and hypertension. Sleep duration should be at least 7-9 hours for adults and within 7-8 hours for people over 65.

During non-working days, keep a stable regime, go to bed and wake up at the same time. This will make it easier to get into a work schedule after the weekend. Avoid hustle, rush, noisy companies. Remember that time is the most valuable resource we have.

Don’t forget to be active
Use the time you have for activity: walk in the woods (but not at night), enjoy nature, breathe fresh air. Walking is a great pastime. Come up with different variations of activities for the number of days of rest. You can even organize a lottery and draw a card with an activity in the morning.

Anastasia: Here are some ideas: collect leaves for herbarium in the park, look for fall mushrooms in the forest, arrange a family photo shoot in nature, ride a horse, make a bird feeder and hang near the house. If the weather does not allow, you can organize activity at home – online training is now offered by many schools and trainers. You can do yoga, stretching, breathing practices, dancing – to suit all tastes and budgets. Be sure to try something new for yourself. In the fall, I recommend avoiding dynamic workouts. Replace them with slow practices – this will help conserve energy.

Engage in education
The off season is a great opportunity to improve your skills. What have you been meaning to learn for a long time, but kept putting it off? Speed reading, photography, foreign languages, guitar playing – today you can learn almost anything from the comfort of your own home. If you love books, this is a great time to reread your favorite authors or meet new ones. Digital libraries offer a wide range of literature for every taste.

Spend time with your family
When was the last time you and your family played board games? Checkers, chess, backgammon, dominoes, bingo and many others. Monopoly, Twister, Jenga, Imaginarium can complete the list. They develop logic and attention in children, give a positive charge of emotions and the joy of victory. An excellent and modern variant of entertainment for children – home quests.

Anastasia: Revisit your favorite cartoons, movies or choose a new movie premiere, which you did not have time for. Now there are a large number of online cinemas that offer many different channels and movies, among which you are sure to find interesting for all members of the family. And it’s also time to organize family photo albums that are waiting to be taken. Pleasant and warm memories are guaranteed.

Put your home in order
Anastasia: In October 2021, the analytical center of Synergy University conducted a survey among Russians about how they will spend non-working days. More than 34% are going to sit at home and rest without specific plans. So, psychologists say that order in the head begins with order in the house. Throw away unnecessary things, rearrange your closet, put away summer clothes, look in the far drawers, put everything in places as you like. If you feel like it, rearrange your furniture or change the decor in your home to fall. As a bonus: the pleasant hassle guarantees the joy of the result.

Think good thoughts
There is a Pollyanna principle in psychology that says you should focus on the positive. During off days, you can find something good about being on vacation and rejoice in it. Make a list of things you can and want to do: spend time with your family, read a book, watch a movie, cook a delicious meal – in general, everything you’ve wanted to do for a long time and haven’t had time for.

心理学家

Make a rough schedule of your day. What time do you want to wake up and when do you want to go to bed? How much time per day do you need for walking, cleaning, cooking, socializing with your family, your personal interests? At what hours do you plan to eat? Distribute these activities by day as well.

Because we, like all living things, live according to the rhythms of nature (day/night, winter/summer, etc.), the brain and body function better in a regular and repetitive schedule of day and rest. Not having a chaotic schedule will make you feel more alert and happy. I am confident that having a comfortable routine, a plan of action, and the ability to find the good stuff will help you have a healthy and happy vacation.

Seek help if necessary
安娜 What are your feelings about being forced to quarantine? If you realize that the feelings are rather negative and you find it difficult to cope with them on your own – for example, anxiety, worry, fear, anger, high tension, apathy – it makes sense to consult a psychologist and live them with the support of a specialist.

Have an interesting vacation and enjoy every non-working day!