Saturdays are elite for self-care.
Have you ever woken up on a Sunday morning and wondered where Saturday went and what you even did?
Although most of us look ahead to the weekend during the entire week, it’s not uncommon to find yourself “wasting” a Saturday and not doing anything memorable or beneficial for yourself.
Common Saturday activities for me in the past have been known to include bed rotting, streaming binges, sleeping way past my typical wake-up time, reluctantly completing errands, prioritizing the requests of family and friends, and more.
Does any of this sound familiar?
If so, it makes sense! Many times, the weekend rolls around, and you’re exhausted. You may not have the capacity to do anything for yourself (or anything at all).
That said, there are ways you can maximize your precious weekend time *and* refill your own tank.
If you’re looking for a clever way to make your Saturdays count, consider giving it a self-care focus.
Self-care Saturdays are a fabulous and guilt-free way to make up for lost time on Monday through Friday, do things that you *actually* want to do, and replenish yourself for the upcoming week.
The key is to tailor your Saturday to your interests and hobbies to ensure that you feel rejuvenated heading into Sunday and the upcoming week.
While it may not be feasible to incorporate *all* the things every single Saturday, adding just one thoughtful activity to your weekend schedule can do wonders to relax (or energize) you ahead of the upcoming week.
Are you ready to rejuvenate your weekends and experience your very own self-care Saturday? Keep reading to get started!
9 Inspiring Ideas for a Guilt-Free Self-Care Saturday
1. Start with a No-Alarms Morning
That feeling when you’re waking up in the morning, and you don’t have anywhere to be or anything to do is an excellent and effortless way to indulge in self-care on the weekends.
Add waking up *without* an alarm, and you’ve unlocked a new level of relaxation and calm.
To kick off your self-care Saturday, turn off your alarm the night before and allow yourself to wake up naturally. Going to bed on Friday night knowing that you won’t be jolted awake by a blaring alarm will help you to get even more restful and rejuvenating sleep.
Believe it or not, you likely won’t end up sleeping until noon, and you may surprise yourself with just how close your natural wake-up time is to your alarm time.
You’ll wake up less stressed, but you’ll still reap the benefits of starting your day feeling rested yet free of anxiety and guilt.
2. Have a Fun Brunch
Is there anything better than a delicious brunch (and non-alcoholic or alcoholic drinks to match)? I think not!
Take advantage of having a day off and engaging in some much-needed self-care by hosting a fun brunch.
You can do this at your home (or someone else’s), and if you’re so inclined, you can flex your culinary muscles by preparing brunch for yourself and your friends.
If cooking isn’t your thing, ordering in is also a great alternative way to orchestrate brunch and maintain your self-care Saturday goal.
If the idea of organizing your own brunch is *too* overwhelming, you can always hop over to a friend’s house or grab a few pals and head to a restaurant instead.
No matter how you decide to indulge, the goal is to have a late breakfast with friends and enjoy your weekend morning with no pressure and delicious food (and drinks).
3. Attend a Group Fitness Class
We *all* know that fitness is a major key to caring for yourself and maintaining your health.
Unfortunately, if you’re like me, exercise often falls by the wayside, and something extravagant like a group fitness class is *not* always possible.
However, during the weekends, most of us have more time to get things, like a workout, done. All of a sudden, with your less packed schedule, a group fitness class becomes more realistic.
To bring your fitness to the max, consider adding a workout class to your self-care Saturday. Whether you want to do something relaxing yet effective like yoga or Pilates, or you prefer more hardcore workouts like Barry’s Bootcamp, the options for workout classes are endless.
Whatever your fitness flavor of the moment, incorporating a group workout class is an awesome way to simultaneously enhance your self-care, boost your endorphins, and prioritize your overall health.
4. Plan a Creative Art Project
You may see this tip and immediately think, “Nope! I’m not creative!” However, there aren’t many things more relaxing than indulging in a creative project when you’re not creative.
There’s no pressure and nobody to impress when you start an art project, knowing that it won’t be great and with the purpose of purely having fun.
In almost every geographical location, you can find art workshops and enjoyable creative activities that will allow you to harness your inner “Van Gogh” and have fun.
You (and your friends if you prefer) can flex your artistic muscles in common activities like drawing and painting classes or more unconventional workshops like jewelry-making and ceramics.
No matter what you choose, the goal is to use art on your self-care Saturday to have fun and get a tangible sense of accomplishment from creating something.
5. Volunteer for an Important Cause
If generosity makes your heart sing and helping others is something you’re passionate about, you’ll be pleased to learn that volunteering can be a form of self-care.
Carving out time on a Saturday to volunteer for a cause that you care about can be an excellent way to assist people (or animals, organizations, etc.) in need *and* enrich your own soul.
Consider spending an hour or two helping out important causes that would benefit from your helpfulness, expertise, or interest as a form of a care routine. The positive impact that you could make has the potential to not just be beneficial for you but could impact many lives.
Your inner self and the community will thank you.
6. Have a Nature Walk or Hike
During the week, most of us spend all day cooped up inside at desks, on sofas, and in our beds.
Consider taking advantage of *not* being forced to stay inside by getting outside on a Saturday.
It’s kind of magical, but spending time outdoors has been shown to reduce stress, increase happiness, improve your self-esteem, and make you feel more relaxed.
If nature isn’t really your jam, the time you spend outside doesn’t need to be grandiose. You can reap these healthy benefits by taking a quick walk around your neighborhood. This simple action can still be a tranquil and beneficial solo wellness walk.
If you’re an old pro when it comes to the outdoors, consider organizing a group hike with friends and traversing more challenging terrain on your self-care Saturday.
7. Prioritize a DIY Spa Day
When you think of having a relaxing beauty day, thoughts of an expensive spa may spring to mind. However, a fancy professional facial isn’t the only way to partake. Rather than shelling out hundreds for an indulgent bath or beauty treatment, you can get the same benefits at home by doing it yourself.
Have you been neglecting your beauty upkeep? Do you simply enjoy indulging? If you answered yes to either of these, consider DIY spa time for your self-care day.
Actions like giving yourself a manicure, applying a sheet mask, deep conditioning your hair, and soaking your feet in a foot bath are relatively simple but can have a massive effect on your appearance *and* your self-esteem.
If you’re an advanced home beauty DIY’er, consider shaping up your eyebrows, treat yourself to a pedicure, waxing, and exfoliating your body to boost your body maintenance and self-care even higher.
8. Prepare a New Recipe
I don’t know about you, but it’s pretty challenging for me to squeeze in time to cook on most days, Monday through Friday.
Weekdays are often too busy or exhausting to warrant spending quality time in the kitchen, especially if you want to try something new.
This is why self-care Saturday can be the best day to prepare a new recipe and experiment with cuisine.
If there’s a recipe you’ve been meaning to try or you simply want to have the actual time to cook, consider breaking out your pots and pans on Saturday to give it a try.
You’ll have the luxury of taking the time to follow a new recipe closely. And, spoiler alert, you’re more likely to end up with a delicious (not botched) meal at the end.
As a bonus, cooking a new recipe can be a shortcut for meal prepping for the next day or even the upcoming week. You may have a meal (or two) sorted for the next couple of days.
9. Enjoy an Indulgent Reading Session
Reading can be so underrated. Whether you choose to cozy up with a paper book, an e-reader, or headphones for an audiobook, escaping into another world is an excellent way to enjoy a self-care Saturday.
Spending time reading is something that you may typically not have time to do during the week due to work and other obligations. This makes Saturday the perfect time to catch up on this fun and often neglected hobby.
For your indulgent reading session, I highly recommend fiction instead of non-fiction. Fiction can truly transport you into another dimension and melt away the stresses from your real life.
The goal is to spend guilt-free time doing something purely for enjoyment and because you can.
The Takeaway
If you’re the kind of person who typically doesn’t have time for things during the week, these self-care Saturday ideas are perfect for you.
Transforming your precious weekend into a relaxing yet productive day can help you change a potentially indistinct Saturday into a relaxing and rejuvenating one.
You don’t need to incorporate every activity we’ve discussed in this article to incorporate self-care Saturday into your week. Just choosing *one* can make all the difference in making the day count and giving you the boost you need heading into the upcoming week.
Also, there are no rules! You can tailor your Saturday to suit your needs and interests.
The goal is to create structure, indulge in activities you like, incorporate relaxation and fun into your life, and set yourself up for a positive and productive week to come.
It’s the least you can do for yourself – you deserve it!
