Eventually, you get a day off from school or work, but now you have to decide what you want to do. Do you want a relaxing day at home, a fun day starting a new project, or even organizing a trip outside? Even if you're one of those people who usually enjoy relaxing or productive days off, consider trying another activity every once in a while.
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Method 1 of 3: Enjoy a Relaxing Holiday
Step 1. Start the day comfortably
Turn off your alarm. Wake up whenever you want, and treat yourself to a leisurely breakfast. If you love to cook, try something special like gingerbread waffles, owl pancakes, breakfast frittatas, or a full English breakfast.
Step 2. Stay away from your cell phone and e-mail
Having people constantly trying to reach you can be overwhelming, but many people compulsively check their phones and emails even if it's stressful for them. If necessary, let people know ahead of time that you won't be reachable on your day off, and put off reading messages until tomorrow.
If you know that this will be difficult to do, leave all your electronic devices in a drawer, away from where you plan to spend your day
Step 3. Find a comfortable place
Choose a place where you can spend a few hours relaxing. If your house is full of work or people are stressed, try a cafe with a relaxed atmosphere, or a garden. If the weather makes going outside unpleasant, create a comfortable space in your home.
Step 4. Play with your pet
If you have pets at home, spend some time playing with them. Find ways to play with your cat, dog or bird. If you like making crafts, make cat toys.
Step 5. Read the book
You may have books you've wanted to read for a long time, or books you've read a long time ago and want to read again. If you need to find a new book to read, look up your favorite authors online to see if they've written any new books, or get ideas from websites like whatshouldireadnext.com.
Step 6. Relax
Find relaxing activities that you don't normally do, to make this day special. Meditate, soak in soap bubbles even if you don't have one, or browse through an old collection of songs and rediscover your favorite songs.
Step 7. Treat yourself to delicious foods
Find a delivery restaurant near you so you don't have to leave the house, or head to a restaurant if that's what you enjoy. If you like to cook at home, choose something you will be happy to cook.
- If you're not that passionate about cooking, but want to give it a try, try simple fun food recipes like mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese.
- If you want to cook a more complicated meal for fun, choose something new and fun, but not too difficult so as not to stress you out. Try the orzotto, naan thool or homemade hot sauce.
Step 8. Invite some friends over to your house
If it's a national holiday, your friends will likely be off school/work too. Even if they don't, they may have their share of free time in the day. Invite them to watch a movie, play a board game, or eat with you. However, don't overload yourself with too many guests; today should remain to relax.
Method 2 of 3: Planning a Tour
Step 1. Look for entertainment venues near you
Maybe there's an interesting movie or drama you'd like to see, or a museum you've never been to. Sometimes, you can have fun acting like a tourist in your own city, especially if you've been too busy at work and haven't had time to enjoy the entertainments in your city.
Step 2. Spend time in nature
Nature spots can be great places for relaxation if you spend most of your time indoors or in the city. Go on a picnic, bike ride, or walk in a park near you. You can even search for campgrounds and nature reserves near you that you'd like to visit on a day trip, though bear in mind that there may be traffic jams if it's a national holiday.
Step 3. Take a walk around housing you've never been to
If there's a town or estate near you that you've never explored, go look around without having any specific plans. Choose an area with lots of shops and restaurants, and check out everything from bookstores to nightclubs.
Step 4. Create experiences, not just new things
People usually find experiences more memorable and interesting than objects. If you do enjoy shopping, go out with friends to make it a more memorable experience, or leave your credit card and just browse for items in stores that are fancier than the ones you normally visit.
Step 5. Avoid frustrating experiences
Try to avoid traffic jams, overcrowded areas, and other sources of stress on your day off. These are all common problems especially if today is a national holiday, but you may be able to find a park or small suburban estate that is quieter.
If those things limit your options, just have a picnic in your backyard
Method 3 of 3: Using Holidays for Personal Projects
Step 1. Try arts and crafts
Paint, draw, make pottery, or try other art forms. Have fun with it, and you might come up with something you can display in your home.
- Try making a pirate hat, or start a more functional project like knitting socks.
- Find unexpected art projects like mushroom spore prints or a dwarf house.
Step 2. Learn a new hobby
There are thousands of hobbies you may not have heard of, and your friends may have a few they'd like to introduce you to. Try solitary activities from crafting glasses to building robots. Find a friend to learn some competitive or collaborative hobby, from old-fashioned strategy games, go, to knitting projects together, where each of you knit squares to put together.
Step 3. Listen to lectures, broadcasts, or audiobooks
Find broadcasts to listen to, on any topic that interests you. Educate yourself with a series of free online lectures from sites like Academic Earth.
Step 4. Attend a one-day class
In town, you can often find cooking classes, crafts, or other topics near you. You can also search online to find regular book clubs, sports clubs, or other clubs in your area. While most of those clubs probably won't be meeting today, you might find something fun to do each weekend, and you might not even have the energy to look for the clubs after you get home from work.
Step 5. Chat with friends
Even if you're the type of person who gets restless on holidays, realize that staying in touch with your loved ones is as much a "task" as your projects and to-do lists. Find someone you haven't spent time with in a while, and invite them over to your house or chat with them online.
