Simple weekend routine ideas
A simple weekend routine enables you to prepare for the next week, recharge your batteries, and spend time doing the things you love.
But what I’ve learned over the years is that what you do during the week shapes how you spend your weekend.
I’ve built a few simple habits that let me enjoy my weekends with the people I love, doing things that matter to me, without spending hours cleaning, decluttering, or cooking.
The key? I pick things up as I go and put them back where they belong.
Imagine it’s Saturday and your home isn’t a mess. If something does need cleaning, it takes just a few minutes.
That means I can spend my Saturday drinking tea, walking in nature, or reading a good book.
Yes, this post is about my weekend routine.
But really, it’s about building daily habits that give you freedom when it matters most.
How to prep for the weekend
First, decide what really matters to you on the weekend. What do you want to get done, and how do you want to feel?
My weekend routine includes spending time with family and friends, walking in nature, grocery shopping, prepping meals for the week, doing a digital detox, and reading as much as I can.
Your version might look completely different.
For me, weekends are for self-care, connection, and quiet time with a book.
What I don’t want is to spend five hours scrubbing floors and cleaning the bathroom.
What I do want is to take the kids to the park, read a few chapters, put on a face mask, and drink tea in peace.
So let’s start with the first habit that makes all of this possible:
Simplify your home
Don’t become a slave to your home and your stuff. We often buy more than we need and then spend our time cleaning, organizing, and managing it all.
Instead, simplify. The fewer things you own, the less time you’ll spend maintaining them.
Less furniture means less cleaning.
Fewer items mean easier organization.
Ask yourself: Do you really need a full drawer of makeup, or could one small bag with your everyday essentials be enough?
Our things can trap us. We don’t always need a bigger home, more bags, or another pair of shoes.
What we do need is time. Time to do what we love. Time for what actually brings us joy.
Ensure you get a lot of chores done during the week
Do a little each day, and your weekends stay free.
That means tossing in a load of laundry midweek instead of saving it all for Sunday.
It means wiping down the kitchen when it gets messy, not letting it build up until Saturday.
The secret to a relaxing weekend is simple: handle your chores during the week, in small, manageable bursts.
Don’t wait until the weekend to do everything.
When you stay on top of things as they come up, your home stays under control and your weekend stays yours.
Pick up as you go
I heard this useful advice from Mel Robbins, and it truly transformed my life for the better.
If you walk around your home and you see things out of place, just put them where they belong.
This small habit makes a huge difference in how your home looks throughout the week. And more importantly for this post topic, it makes a huge difference in how your home looks when you wake up on a Saturday.
If your home is already tidy, it is easy to clean.
Don’t buy it if you do not have the space for it
If you want to buy a new device or a new kitchen appliance, first think about the place where you plan to store it.
If you have little kitchen space, buying new appliances is useless until you create space.
The biggest issue I see in my friends’ homes is that they constantly buy things they have no room for, and then they try to find space by buying new furniture and cluttering their living spaces.
Think twice before you bring anything new into your home.
Do you really need it? Do you have the space for it?
Clean for a few minutes every day
The key to stress-free weekends is cleaning as you go throughout the week in small bursts of time.
You are brushing your teeth and you notice that the bathroom counters are dirty. Clean them right away. You will spend 3 minutes doing it.
You enter the living room and you see that the floors are dirty. Clean them right away.
Check your rooms in the evening before you go to bed. Put away things that are left all over the apartment.
It is amazing how much you can accomplish by cleaning for 15 minutes every day.
Cleaning things up as you go will help you get most of your cleaning done during the week.
These small habits will enable you to start your weekend in a tidy, clutter-free home, without any pressure to start cleaning right away.
It is such a mood booster for me when I get up on a Saturday and realize that I can go out for a coffee and not worry about any cleaning chores.
Simple weekend routine ideas
Ideally, we should spend weekends relaxing and enjoying ourselves. But in the real world, that is not always possible. As a mom of two kids, I am lucky if I get a few moments of peace during the weekend, when I can relax, put my face mask on, and read a book.
Here are a couple of simple weekend routine ideas I like to do:
Read, write, paint
I always try to ditch my phone during the weekends and pick up a book or my journal.
Reading and journaling are the perfect activities for weekends. I read different kinds of books, some fiction some non-fiction, it all depends on how I feel.
I also do several forms of journaling, but the main ones are: the morning pages, the gratitude journal and the reading journal.
The possibilities are endless, and everyone can find some form that they enjoy doing.
Related: Best self-help books to read and The Power of Reading
Relax and do some self-care
I am always in a rush during the week, but on weekends, I try to use my favorite face masks and spend some time massaging and hydrating my face and body.
I find this very relaxing. And it immediately makes me feel relaxed and calm.
Related posts: My favorite skincare routine and The beauty products I will not use again
Go outside
I try to be active during the week, sometimes I succeed, but I also often fail. Weekends are perfect for walks in nature, and when the weather is nice, I try to go to the park or local spa and get some steps in.
Related: The Power of Walking: The Best Exercise for Mind & Body and How to start getting fit after 40
Prep your food for the week ahead
Use the weekend to prepare your food for the week ahead.
For me, food prepping is one chore I can’t manage during the busy weekdays, so it has to happen on Sundays. By building a habit of planning, shopping, and prepping meals over the weekend, you can make a significant difference in your health and well-being.
Take some time to plan next week’s meals and prepare a few healthy snacks for your kids. I even enjoy baking bread rolls and freezing them for their lunches. It’s a small step that makes a big difference during the week.
Go offline
Take the weekend as an opportunity to disconnect.
Allow yourself to feel bored. Turn off your phone and laptop. After all, you’re likely online all week, working, checking emails, and staying connected with friends.
Use your weekends to step away from social media. Take a break from scrolling through YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok.
Boredom is just as essential to a balanced life as focus and productivity. One cannot truly exist without the other.
Related: Reduce screen time and regain focus
Final thoughts
I often see posts online about “reset weekend” routines, but I believe weekends shouldn’t revolve around cleaning and decluttering.
We need time to rest, connect with friends, and enjoy quality moments with our kids. I’d much rather tackle chores during the week while the kids are at school, leaving the weekend free for relaxation and socializing.
For me, a truly restorative weekend is what prepares me for a productive, focused workweek. It helps me avoid burnout, feel in control of my life, and truly savor it.
To make this balance possible, I’ve incorporated small habits into my daily routine that save time and allow me to prioritize the things and people I love most.
What about you? Do you prefer productive weekends or relaxing ones? What’s your go-to weekend routine?
