61 Things to Do on the Weekend

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From outdoor activities to arts and crafts, it's easy to find a fun way to spend your weekend

Co-authored by Janice Tieperman Reviewed by Seth Hall

Last Updated: December 4, 2024 Fact Checked

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Your time is valuable, especially when the weekend rolls around. It’s only fair that you’d want to make the best use of your free time—and we’re here to help you do just that, with the help of Life Coach Kari Samuels. Read on for dozens of fun ways to beat boredom and make the most of your precious me time.

Quick Ideas for a Fun Weekend

Try your luck in an escape room.
Explore your community by enjoying local music or going to a local coffee shop.
Do something outside, like tubing the river, birdwatching, or hiking.
Go on a mini treasure hunt with the geocaching app.
Take a wikiHow quiz.
Do a craft, like knitting, making amigurumi, or making origami.
Take a short road trip or a day trip to the beach.

1

Trying an Escape Room

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Escape rooms allow you to think outside the box with your friends in a fun, high-stakes environment. Search online to see what types of escape rooms are in the area. You can also look into mobile escape rooms, which travel to you and set up the amazing puzzle.
- Escape room prices vary by location and company, but expect to pay at least $25 per person for this unique activity.
- Want to impress your friends at your next escape room outing? Click/tap here to check out some of our best escape room tips.
- If you’re feeling especially creative, you can even plan or build your own escape room.

2

Geocaching

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Think of geocaching as a miniature, low-stakes treasure hunt that you can do in just about any location. With the help of the official geocaching app, it’s easy to turn your weekend mornings and afternoons into a fun adventure.^{[1]
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3

Using MeetUp

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MeetUp is a super handy site that clues you into everything that’s going on in your local community. Samuels notes how “you can use [the weekend] as an opportunity to find things that will interest you long term,” especially if you use “online groups like Meetup.”^{[2]
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Kari Samuels
Intuitive Counselor & Happiness Coach

Expert Interview}

4

Enjoying Local Music

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Support your local music scene by showing up to weekend performances of some up-and-coming bands in your area. Look for restaurants or cafes that frequently offer live music, or join a Facebook group like Local Bands Playing to see who’s playing nearby.

5

Visiting the Market

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Is there a farmer’s market in your area? Stopping by a local farmer’s market is a great way to appreciate the delicious wares they have to offer, all while supporting a local business in the process!
- If you live in the United States, your state might have a “Farm Market Finder” website to help you track down local spots.

6

Visiting Local Festivals

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There are a lot more festivals out there than you may think, and not just for holidays! Typing something like “festivals near me” in a Google search is a great way to find where and when local events are happening. Checking your state or local city’s website is another great way to keep the finger on the pulse of upcoming festivals.

7

Discovering a Local Spot

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Lots of exciting (and sometimes, delicious) spots can be found in our own backyards. Open up the “maps” app on your phone or computer and look up cafes, coffee shops, or other local establishments in your area. Chances are, you might find a new spot to haunt!

8

Visiting Garage Sales

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Keep an eye out for any garage sale advertisements in or around your neighborhood. When the announced day rolls around, head over to the yard sale and take a look at what they have to offer. You might be surprised at what you uncover.

9

Joining Community Theater

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If you’re passionate about theater (or the arts in general), community theater is the perfect place for you to be. Auditioning for a local play/musical or volunteering to be on the stage crew is a great way to spend your weekend (and several weekends and weeknights to come)!
- Google something like “community theater near me” or “community theater auditions near me” to get an idea of what’s happening in your area.

10

Bowling

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It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re battling it out against friends and loved ones (and possibly even yourself) in a high-stakes bowling match. Scope out the nearest bowling alley, slip into your bowling shoes, and get ready for a weekend you won’t forget anytime soon.

11

Hiking

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Hiking is far more than your average walk. It’s about immersing yourself in nature and appreciating all the surrounding wildlife and scenery—and getting a nice workout in the process! Head on over to your local park or hiking trail to add a beautiful snapshot to your weekend.
- Not sure which hiking trails are near you? Click/tap here to find out.
- Remember: when it comes to exercise, it’s always important to do activities that you’ll really find fun. Samuels stresses that “it’s more important to do things that are enjoyable to you rather than what you think is going to yield physical results.”^{[3]
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  Kari Samuels
  Intuitive Counselor & Happiness Coach
  
  Expert Interview}

12

Tubing

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Is there a big river in your hometown? Grab an inner tube and spend the day floating down the river to your heart’s content. Invite some friends along to make the outing even more fun!
- Check online and see if you’re allowed to go tubing there first.

13

Playing Mini Golf

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Don’t let the name fool you—mini golf is a super fun activity for people of all age ranges. Grab a few friends or family members as you embark on a bamboozling mini golf adventure filled with plenty of fun themes and decorations.

14

Visiting a Wildlife Reserve

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Wildlife reserves are an amazing way to connect with nature in a safe and responsible way. Just Google “wildlife reserve near me” or “wildlife refuge near me” to get an idea of what facilities are in your area.
- If you live in the United States, click/tap here to find out which wildlife refuges are close to you.

15

Gardening

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Gardening is the perfect way to enjoy nature all while keeping your hands busy. Best of all, you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor, whether that’s a beautiful array of flowers or delicious patches of fruits and veggies. Feel free to grow whatever you’d like in your garden, like strawberries, tomatoes, or daffodils.

16

Getting Indoor Plants

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If you don’t have a yard, indoor plants make it easy to become a plant parent. When choosing the perfect houseplant, it’s important to acknowledge multiple factors, like the amount of light your home gets, the desired climate of the plant, and so on. Still, researching and narrowing down the perfect houseplant can be a fun way to spend your weekend!
- Keep any pets in mind, too! Click/tap here to see which houseplants are toxic to your furry friends.

17

Birdwatching

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Birdwatching offers the perfect opportunity to really invest yourself in nature and appreciate all the birds and other wildlife that roam near your home. Make a game out of it by trying to see how many different birds you can find, or turn it into a full-fledged hobby by investing in a high-quality camera to capture some great shots.
- There are plenty of ways to sync up with your local birding community, like the eBird app and Facebook groups.^{[4]
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18

Backyard Camping

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Who says that camping has to require tons of travel and preparation? A night of backyard camping makes it easy to enjoy nature without the extra hassle and packing that traditional camping tends to require. Best of all: if you have to go to the bathroom, you can just run inside!
- You can also camp indoors if you don’t want to be outside.

19

Browsing Freecycle

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What’s better than paying for stuff? That’s right: getting free stuff! Freecycle is an online recycling network that allows people to advertise items they’re giving away for free, as well as request items they’re looking for. Whether you’re on the lookout for a special item or you’re just a little bored, it’s hard to go wrong with Freecycle.
- Most Freecycle listings expect you to pick up items from the donator’s house, so keep that in mind before making any offers.
- The “free stuff” page on Craigslist can also be a helpful and fun resource.

20

Making Moodboards

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When it comes to moodboards, Pinterest is your best friend. The platform lets you collect a variety of images and pin them to digital boards, which can all encapsulate different aesthetics, fictional characters, and, well… anything else your heart desires!
- Check out this quick wikiHow tutorial on how to get started with your own mood board.

21

Taking Surveys

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Surveys are a fun way to burn some time and earn a little cash. While you shouldn’t expect a huge payout from any paid survey website, you can earn a little pocket money through sites like:^{[5]
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22

Taking wikiHow Quizzes

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Did you know that wikiHow makes quizzes? Yup, the site has over 300 fun quizzes to try, like What Is My Mental Age, Super Abilities Quiz and Which Taylor Swift Era Am I. We’ve got quizzes spanning all sorts of categories, like:
- Trivia:
- Personality:
- Fun:
- Sexuality:
- Relationships:

23

Studying New Languages

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Why not expand your horizons and add a new language to your repertoire? With all the different language-learning lessons and programs out there, there’s no telling what you could pick up after a few weekends of focused study. Here are a few programs to help get you on your way:^{[6]
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- Duolingo
- Beelinguapp
- Memrise
- LingoDeer

24

Taking wikiHow Courses

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Want to learn a new skill? From hobbies and tech know-how to health and self-improvement, wikiHow’s email course program has everything you need to better yourself in simple daily steps. Click here to start your free trial and gain access to expert co-authored courses like:

25

Binging Movies & TV Shows

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Have you had a TV or film series on your “to-watch” list for a while now? There’s no time like the present to get caught up. If you don’t have anything on deck, ask a friend or loved one for some recommendations!
- Websites like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes make it easy to see which TV shows and movies are highly rated.

26

Listening to Podcasts

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Podcasts let you enjoy high-quality content from just about anywhere—no couch or TV required! Here are some programs you might enjoy, depending on the genre you typically gravitate toward:
- Comedy: SmartLess, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!
- News: UpFirst, Today in Focus, The Daily
- True Crime: Serial, Dateline NBC, 48 Hours
- Sports: Talkin’ Baseball, New Heights, Pardon My Take

27

Making Origami

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Origami is the exquisite art of Japanese paper folding that’s still widely practiced today.^{[7]
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28

Knitting

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If you love arts and crafts, you’ll definitely enjoy knitting (a special way of making soft, handmade products with yarn and knitting needles). With enough practice, you can even try to make your own scarf.

29

Making Amigurumi

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Amigurumi is the practice of making adorable plushies by crocheting yarn and adding stuffing and other decorations. Make your own cute and cuddly creatures by following wikiHow tutorials like making a simple stuffed animal.

30

Making Slime

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Slime doesn’t just have to be for kids—with the proper ingredients, anyone can make the perfect batch of sticky, soft, or sizzling slime. Why not try making your own batch of icee slime, or whipping up some crunchy slime?

31

Mixing Bubble Solution

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Sure, you can buy bubble solution online, but it’s so fun (and easy) to make it at home.

32

Solving Puzzles

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From jigsaw puzzles to sudoku problems, puzzles offer endless ways to keep your mind busy and occupied—especially on the weekend. If you’re into jigsaw puzzles, start with a smaller piece-count like 500 before working your way up to 1,000. Or, if you’d really like to challenge yourself, try sinking your teeth into a 2,000-piece puzzle! If you prefer pen-and-paper puzzles, you might enjoy:

33

Playing Board Games

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With all the different board games out on the market right now, there’s truly something for everyone. Stick with a classic like Monopoly, or stretch out with a more physical game, like Twister. It’s hard to go wrong with any of these well-loved games:
- Sorry!
- Trouble
- Trivial Pursuit
- Apples to Apples

34

Playing Card Games

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Don’t let their size fool you—despite their small size, cards can pack plenty of fun and entertainment. Stick with a well-known and well-loved card game, like UNO, or play a variety of different games with a classic card deck, depending on the number of people you have to join you:

35

Playing wikiHow Games

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Besides being a wealth of how-to guides, wikiHow offers online games to help test your knowledge and beat boredom—all at the same time! Currently, wikiHow offers:
- This or That Game: A game that challenges you to guess which wikiHow article has more monthly views than the other.
- Train Your Brain Game: A game that invites you to guess the common denominator between a group of wikiHow images.

36

Drawing

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You don’t have to be a pro artist to have tons of fun doodling and sketching the day away. If you’re interested in learning how to draw but don’t quite know where to start, try following a tutorial, like wikiHow’s How to Draw a Person.

37

Reading Books

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When you find a book you really enjoy, it’s easy to get swept away in the fascinating narratives and mesmerizing characters of a fictional (or nonfictional) world. But what type of book is the perfect fit for you and your interests? Take this wikiHow quiz to find out.
- Once you’ve settled on a book (or genre) that interests you, head to your local library and see what they have to offer. If you live in the United States, click/tap here to find your closest library.

38

Reading Random wikiHow Articles

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Sure, it’s great to find a helpful wikiHow article exactly when you need it—but what about in your free time? Click here to be sent to a totally random wikiHow article. You never know what you might learn or discover!

39

Writing

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Writing is an amazing way to express yourself, whether you’re jotting down your thoughts in a journal or brainstorming a new fictional world. Both creative writing and journaling can become regular parts of your routine with a little bit of time and dedication.

40

Biking

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If you enjoy being outside but aren’t crazy about walks and hikes, biking could be your happy medium. If you don’t own a bike already, see if you can rent one from a local business and take it out for a spin on the weekend.
- If you’re seriously interested in biking, there are plenty of bikes on the market that won’t break the bank. For instance, you can get a Huffy Stone Mountain Hardtail Mountain Bike for less than $250.

41

Fishing

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Fishing is a rejuvenating way to spend time in nature, all while testing your skills on the water. If you’re a total newbie to fishing, check out wikiHow’s ultimate guide on How to Fish, which covers all the essentials you need to know about this rewarding pastime.

42

Picnicking

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What’s better than enjoying the outdoors and enjoying a delicious meal at the same time? Picnicking is a simple but magnificent way to spend a fun weekend afternoon or evening with your friends and loved ones, all while soaking in the lovely weather.
- Want to enjoy the weekend with a special someone? Plan a romantic picnic for the occasion instead.

43

Stargazing

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Stargazing is the perfect way to enjoy a weekend night, especially if you live in a spot where it’s easy to see all the stars. To challenge yourself, try to see how many constellations you can find, or how many shooting stars you witness as you watch.
- Finding the North Star can be a helpful starting point as you scan the sky.

44

Watching the Sunrise or Sunset

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Enjoying the sunrise or sunset is a simple but powerful way to appreciate just how beautiful the world can be. According to Samuels, you can also use this time to “enjoy your own company” and “enjoy some quiet [while you] self-reflect.”^{[8]
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Expert Source

Kari Samuels
Intuitive Counselor & Happiness Coach

Expert Interview}

45

Volunteering

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Helping others is a pretty great way to spend your weekend free time, and volunteering is an amazing way to do it. If you live in the United States, check out VolunteerMatch to find volunteer opportunities in your area that line up with your interests and talents.

46

Dancing

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There’s nothing wrong with dancing your heart out to your favorite song in your room—but what if you could take your moves to the next level? The weekend is the perfect time to learn some brand-new dance moves and styles, like: Breakdancing or ballroom dancing.

47

Baking

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Baking is the perfect hobby to try if you have an insatiable sweet tooth, or if you just enjoy the taste of a baked good fresh from the oven. (And, really, who doesn’t?) It’s okay if you don’t have a lot of baking experience, though—just start with something simple, like baking a cake.

48

Cooking New Recipes

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You don’t have to be a pro chef to have fun in the kitchen. In fact, medical experts agree that home cooking can be a great pastime, especially if you’re focusing on nutritious recipes.^{[9]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public

Go to source} Take baby steps as you get started, like planning healthy breakfast options.

49

Making a Pillow Fort

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What’s better than chilling in bed or on the couch? You guessed it—chilling in a pillow fort! With just a few pillows, sheets, and blankets, you can spend an entire afternoon building the perfect cozy paradise for yourself.

50

Pampering Yourself

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Turn your weekend into a glorified spa getaway with plenty of rest, relaxation, and pampering activities. Dial up the luxury by soaking your feet, doing your nails, or even giving yourself a pedicure.

51

Hosting a Party

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It doesn’t have to be someone’s birthday for you to throw a fun party. If you don’t mind keeping things low-key and last-minute, feel free to invite friends over to your place the weekend of (just be sure to get your parents’ permission if you still live with them). You can also keep your mind busy by planning a super fun party in the future!

52

Doing Karaoke

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Strut your stuff with a fun round of karaoke with friends and loved ones (or even strangers!). Do a quick search for karaoke establishments near you, or create your own homemade setup by pulling up karaoke tracks of your favorite songs on YouTube.

53

Visiting Museums

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Who said museums have to be boring? There are tons of museums all over the world covering plenty of interesting fields, like art, history, and science. See what types of museums are in your neighborhood—you might be surprised at how many pop up!
- If you live in the United States and are currently part of the SNAP program, you may qualify for the Museums for All program, which lets certain individuals get free or discounted access to a lot of different museums.

54

Attending a Sports Game

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It’s hard to beat the infectious energy of a sports game, whether you’re rooting for a major team or a community league. If you live relatively close to a sports stadium, it could be worth getting some cheap tickets so you can soak in the vibes.
- If you’re a baseball fan, consider checking out minor league games. They’re a bit cheaper while still giving you the fun, thrilling vibes of a classic baseball game.

55

Going on a Road Trip

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No one ever said road trips had to be super long! Dedicate part of your weekend to a short road trip where you and some pals head over to a neighboring town or city. Keep it short if you’re only feeling a day trip, or plan a total excursion as you plan to head out for the weekend. Here are a few articles to help you prep for your next journey:

56

Taking a Beach Trip

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If the weather cooperates, why not make a fun beach vacation out of your weekend? If you live near the coast, this could involve hopping in a car and driving down to the shore; if you live in a more landlocked are, this could involve visiting a local pond or lake.
- If you live in the United States, click/tap here to find the closest beach to your location.

57

Meditating

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Doing nothing is a great way to spend some quality time with yourself. While you’re enjoying some peace and quiet by yourself, think about giving meditation a try. Medical experts agree that it’s an effective way to help lower negative symptoms connected to depression, anxiety, and PTSD, which in turn can have positive effects on your health overall.^{[10]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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- There are tons of different ways to practice meditation, including Buddhist meditation, mindful meditation, mantra meditation, and more.
- Samuels agrees that “when you learn to enjoy your own company, life becomes more enjoyable.”^{[11]
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  Kari Samuels
  Intuitive Counselor & Happiness Coach
  
  Expert Interview}

58

Trying Yoga

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Doing yoga is an amazing way to stay healthy and pass the time. But don’t just take it from us! Medical experts agree that yoga comes with a host of benefits, like boosting your heart health, improving your flexibility, improving your energy levels, and more.
- Did you know? Samuels agrees that “exercise is a wonderful way to build endorphins and get your energy flowing,” while “[helping] your thoughts get unstuck.”^{[12]
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  Kari Samuels
  Intuitive Counselor & Happiness Coach
  
  Expert Interview}

59

Napping

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Napping is a totally valid weekend activity, especially if you haven’t had a lot of time to catch up on your ZZZs throughout the week. Here a few helpful tips to keep in mind to help you make the most of your nap:
- Time your nap to be earlier than 3 PM so you don’t have trouble getting rest at night.
- Keep your naps short and sweet—10 to 20 minutes is a good rule of thumb.
- Pick a place to nap where you can get cozy and achieve high-quality sleep, like a bedroom with the curtains drawn.^{[13]
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  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  
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60

Doing Chores

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Okay, this definitely isn’t the most fun option out there. But there is an undeniable rush in checking off an item (or multiple items!) from your to-do list, especially if you don’t have a lot of time to tidy up throughout the week. Try to do a few simple high-priority chores and see how you feel after.

61

Joining the wikiHow Community

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wikiHow is run by a small team of employees who help determine what type of content, experts, and other features will be highlighted on the site. At its core, though, wikiHow is a wiki site, meaning that anyone in the world can upload and edit articles. Being an active wikiHow community member allows you to keep the website’s content in tip-top shape. Here are a few ways you can get started: