How was your weekend? Restful? Free from thoughts about your work, job search or career change? A study found that people appreciate their time off more and saw an improvement to their mood by simply following the instruction to treat their weekend 'like a holiday'.

Also, truly taking time off and relaxing will aid your motivation, focus and energy when back on Monday.

Exercise

1. When will you wrap up your week?
   In your digital calendar set up an event titled "Holiday time!" and place it at the end of your working week.
2. Add a reminder
   To this calendar event set an alert to go off 5-10 minutes before so you have time to wind down and finish off what you're working on, before you take your holiday.
3. Make holiday plans
   You don't have to do this right now, but find some time in your week to make plans for the weekend. Meet up with a friend, explore somewhere new, or simply choose an activity you enjoy doing.
4. Pack your suitcase
   No, not really. Just remember the weekend is yours to use, enjoy and spend how you like.

Your well-being and mental health are important. If you finding it hard to justify taking time off, maybe because you're stressed or anxious about not achieving something, take this as a moment to stop, breathe, and think about the long-term benefits you will gain from a healthy work/life balance. You'll be surprised how your productivity and ability to solve problems will increase when your mind is rested.

Adam Ellison

The founder and course mentor at The Monday Morning Club