Saturday afternoons are my favorite time of the week. I get done with work at 1:00 and have the whole weekend stretching ahead of me. The first thing I do is have a cup of tea with my lunch while reading my favorite book blog, “Modern Mrs. Darcy.” Then I take a nice long nap and (during football season) watch the Baylor game. I love Saturday afternoons.
I HATE Saturday mornings. I only work four hours, and you would think those hours would pass by in happy anticipation, but it’s the opposite. Those are the longest and most unpleasant hours of the week.
For a long time I couldn’t figure out why. It’s such a short workday! There’s so much to look forward to afterwards! I finally realized that’s the problem- I spend those four hours looking forward to what comes after.
It reminds me of one of my favorite articles, “How to Be Happy Anytime” by Leo Babauta. He says, “Why should you compare what you’re doing now…with anything else? Wouldn’t almost anything lose out if you compare it to something you like more? Will you ever be happy with what you’re doing if you always compare it with something you like more?”
Yes- if I’m at work but thinking about lounging on the couch watching football, of course work is going to seem unpleasant. There’s no reason to compare the two things, and the very fact that I’m looking forward to post-work activities implies that I’m not happy with what I am doing. Realizing this is a great first step, but what do I do about it?
Well, for one thing, I can try to make Saturday mornings more pleasant. Years ago when I was experimenting with intermittent fasting (I don’t do that anymore) I used to fast on Saturday mornings, which was the WORST IDEA EVER. It made the morning a truly miserable time to get through, four hours until I could eat and enjoy my life again.
Now I sleep in a little on Saturdays, eat a nice breakfast, and drink my tea. I do everything I possibly can to set myself upto feel good for the morning. It’s still a work in progress though- sometimes I’m able to immerse myself in what I’m doing, and sometimes I’m still thinking “Just three more massages… two more massages… just one more…”
The point of Leo’s article is that any activity can be pleasurable if you look at it the right way. Appreciate it for what it is instead of comparing it to anything else. I’ve mentioned it before on the blog, but it’s worth repeating, and the article is worth reading again and again. “Life will suck if you are always wishing you’re doing something else. Life will rock if you realize you’re already doing the best thing ever.”
Here we go again- Saturday morning. Let’s see if I can make it the best thing ever.
24 Responses
The big standout to me is that you sleep in on Saturdays! I like the idea of adding in an extra treat to help with the rough patch of “not a full work day but still a work day”.
Enjoy your afternoon!!!
Yes, sleeping in (till 7:30) does feel really nice. I’ve definitely been enjoying my afternoon and evening!
I hope this Saturday was the BEST MORNING ever.
Our perception of things can be so funny, eh? Sometimes the anticipation of a good time is more fun than the actual event (for me, my favourite time is Friday evenings – I’m full of excitement for Saturday, but I end up not loving Saturday’s that much – a lot of time to fill with the kids and I’m tired from the week and just want to relax the whole day – so in reality, though on Friday evening I tell myself I’m looking forward to Saturday, really I just love Friday evenings because I know I don’t have to make lunchboxes the next day and it’s nice to have a break from the work/school routine).
Oh yes, I know what you mean. In my case, on Saturday night I’m always so happy about Sunday… but Sunday can actually be really stressful with laundry, meal prep, etc.
I can’t say this morning was the best one ever, but it was definitely an improvement.
I came here for NaBloPoMo. 🙂
I love the shift in perception that you write about, and I hope you are able to make the shift and be in the moment, and enjoy your morning. I can’t imagine doing intermittent fasting with a physical job like massage therapist. Glad you eat breakfast now!
Oh yes- that was a really bad idea. My morning today wasn’t perfect, but it was better!
Working on Sat. morning… UGH! Then there’s no weekend.
But I know you can make the best of it… does it give you more flexible time off during the week? 9-5 M-F can be quite a drag.
I am so happy to have every other Monday off. Yes it means lower salary but makes my Sunday so much more enjoyable.
Hope you enjoy your afternoon.
Thank you Darlene! Yes, I did try to get out of working Saturdays but couldn’t. SIGH! But I have Wednesdays off, and it’s really nice to have that day in the middle of the week.
Focusing on the task at hand does help to get through it and onto what you truly want to do
Yes- focusing on the task at hand, instead of letting my mind wander to things I’d rather be doing. That’s the goal!
It really comes down to attitude (I know changing your attitude is easier said than done sometimes, but in the end, if we can have a positive attitude about something, even if we’d rather do something else), we can make the experience in the moment that much better. I am glad you’re looking for ways to make the Saturday morning routine more pleasurable for you.
Yes- it really is easier said than done. I know all this intellectually, but have trouble putting it into practice. I’m trying though!
Oh, those last few hours before the end of the week are always so hard. It’s great to have something to look forward to, but it can make the actual work day seems endless! I do think it’s nice that you’re able to pamper yourself a little bit on Saturday morning before heading to work – maybe you can make something about Saturday morning something to look forward to.
Yes, I guess it’s probably like that for everyone. Sleeping in a little and eating a nice breakfast definitely helps, a bit.
This is such a great perspective! Finding the joy or satisfaction in the current moment can be so hard, but definitely rewarding if it works out!
Yes, but it’s funny how hard we have to work for it! It’s an ongoing process for me.
For me it also depends how I the climate at work is – when everything runs smoothly and I am busy it’s all good, when there is friction and nothing to do, I dread every second of the day. But yes, sometimes changing perspective helps.
Yes- some things are out of my control. Like how busy I am, and how easy/difficult the clients are. I guess a real “zen” person would say those things shouldn’t matter.
Amen. And yet it is at times so hard to have the right attitude. Always a work in progress…
Hope you find more enjoyable Saturdays in the future.
Now going to check out that article you mentioned.
I hope you liked that article! Yes- it’s so easy to “know” these things, but it can be hard to put into practice.
I love this idea – that you can make things more pleasurable if you don’t compare and approach them differently. That’s a great attitude!
It really did make my Saturday better- but I think it’s something I’m going to have to work on for a long time.
It makes sense that Saturdays are tough because it’s a time when most people in your life are probably not working, so you’d like to not be working, too! I hope the mindset shift helps. I’m all about treats to offset unpleasant things. Like when I was pregnant, I let myself have a latte every day for like the last 2+ months. I had gestational diabetes and there were so few things I could enjoy so that was the perk I let myself have on a daily basis to get through the final stretch.
Yes, I think that’s a big part of it- who wants to work on Saturdays??? It’s nice when you have a treat to cheer you up that’s not too unhealthy- like a latte is a treat but much better than a daily piece of chocolate cake (just for example.)