Listen to the Pgh Dreamer’s Pod: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/FCi8hUfFvyb

Planning your weekends is all well and good…until you sit back and realize there are only 52 weekends in an entire year of 365 days. That’s bucketing all of the “fun” into only roughly 28% of your year. What about the other 72% of your time? Shouldn’t it also count?

While every mindfulness article will tell you to live in the present and enjoy the moment you’re in, research does suggest that we can also gain motivation and optimism by looking forward to something. Social psychologist Carrie Wyland further suggests that anticipating small experiences can be just as enjoyable as looking forward to a large, perhaps weekend-only, event. It gives the mind a sense of future promise and keeps us happy even in times of a stressful work week or family crisis.

Therefore, filling the calendar with a small, enjoyable activity everyday can be truly beneficial. And I’m not talking something that will eat up precious time or cost a lot. A simple 15 minute walk or reading a chapter of a book can be a big pick-me-up. Looking for something more social? How about you schedule in a call to a friend? Or plan a coffee date? Or, if you’re really feeling like you need some downtime, plan to take a long bubble bath or schedule in a nap.

Then, before you go to sleep, peep at the next day’s scheduled events. Smile to yourself when you see a sweet, sweet 15 minutes on the calendar that will make the week that much better.