Student SPHere 2008-09

Don't get me wrong, I never, ever disliked weekends. They were the high point of my undergrad days and the light at the end of the tunnel that is the dragging 40-hour work week. But until this semester, I didn't really need them -- and I don't hesitate for a second to admit I do now.

I know I piled a pretty hefty load on myself this semester, but I'm discovering it's not just the amount of time I spend on school/work/internship stuff that makes me daydream about putting on my sweat pants on Friday at 6 p.m. It's the variety -- and while I love it, my brain constantly switching gears between statistical software and program evaluations and lining up photos for newspaper stories and writing program goals and objectives just makes me want to take a nap.

I definitely still spend much of my Sunday evenings whining about how the weekend went by too fast and I don't want it to be Monday yet, but I've been thinking more about the art of making weekends feel longer, more relaxing and as if they're better preparing me for the week to come. And while I've far from mastered it, it's getting better because of:

Yoga. Much to (I'm sure) The Boyfriend's delight, I try to make him do yoga with me on Saturday mornings in the living room. I admit my MTV Yoga DVD from college and move-the-coffee-table-out-of-the-way routine aren't quite a trendy little yoga studio, and I'm certainly not tying myself into a pretzel, but I enjoy it and find it's a good way to forget about the week, prepare myself for the weekend and get in some exercise.

Breakfast. I refuse to skip breakfast, even when I head to campus early to swim twice a week and will honestly load up my fancy cereal holder (with separate, cooled milk compartment and fold-up spoon) with yogurt, granola and berries and eat in class. Without some nutrients, I cannot function. But there's something about making a real breakfast -- pancakes, waffles, muffins, omelets -- that feels nice and relaxing and homey and weekend-y. (And I have to make up for forcing The Boyfriend into yoga somehow.)

Avoiding work. OK, I know this is not always possible. It's usually not, in fact. But I try to plan ahead and do as much work as possible during the week to free up as much weekend as possible, and, when I do have to work, to squeeze it all into a specific period, i.e., Sunday afternoon, so I don't have to spend the rest of the weekend thinking about it.

Prepping for Monday. My mom would be so proud: I do my best to get together everything I need for Monday the night before so I don't spend the morning spazzing. Yes, I've even been known to lay out my outfit. I also go through my planner and see what's coming up for the week and what I need to add right off the bat. If I start the week organized and not scrambling to get myself out the door, I definitely have more confidence in my ability to make it 'til Friday.

And when I'm not running around like a headless chicken, everyone's happier.