Ah, the weekend! This little mirage that we hope for all week and which always passes far too quickly. But if we are still tired on Monday, it is often because we have not taken the right steps to “breathe”. Because behind these two days of freedom often hide behaviors which, without us realizing it, ruin our mental recovery. In any case, this is what Alexander Puutio, psychologist and professor at Harvard, teaches us.
The “reward you deserve” trap
In reality, what is happening? All week long, we do the right thing: we work hard, we check the boxes… So, when the weekend comes, we tell ourselves that we deserve a little relaxation: a glass of wine, a late-night series, a greasy brunch… This is what psychologists call moral license: the idea that after having done something “good”, we have earned the right to do something “bad”. A bit as if our brain was managing mental accounting: “I’ve been good all week, so I can let loose now.”
The problem? What looks like a reward often ends up sabotaging our balance. Because in reality, our brains don’t like roller coasters. He prefers stability and regularity. And our weekend excesses constantly force him to readjust.
Drinks, series… When “binger” exhausts us
In fact, on weekends, we often tend to see freedom in allowing everything: we eat more, drink more, scroll endlessly or watch an entire series. After all, it’s only two days. But even occasional excesses can have a concrete effect: alcohol, for example, impairs working memory and mental flexibility, as a 2013 study recalls.
Ultra-rich meals disrupt the hippocampus, the area of the brain linked to memory and concentration. Result: we feel sluggish, less alert, sometimes even unmotivated on Monday morning. Not because we “feasted” too much, but because we broke the rhythm that our brain needs to function.
False rest: “doing nothing” can also make us tired
Another weekend reflex: cut short constraints, and allow yourself to do “nothing”. What seems attractive on paper, to give up, can quickly become stressful: the day flies by and we have, in fact, done nothing with our time. But contrary to what you might think, inactivity doesn’t really help the brain recover. Neuroscientists have observed: letting yourself go aimlessly does not activate neuronal repair circuits.
On the contrary, active rest is needed: walking, reading, writing, gardening, creating. A rest that nourishes, without exhausting. Either learn a song, test a recipe, tinker a little. Anything that arouses curiosity without pressure or performance really recharges your batteries.
Overloading your weekend, the other habit that stresses you out
And then, there is the other extreme: the weekends when you want to do everything to do well. Shopping, laundry, outings, family meals, personal projects… Barely 48 hours to check off 100 things. Problem: this overflow maintains anticipatory stress, which causes cortisol to rise, this hormone which prevents the brain from regenerating. And a mental load you don’t need.
In the end, we arrive at Sunday evening exhausted, our brains saturated, unable to “unplug”. The right reflex: treat your weekend as a sacred space. Turn off notifications, avoid opening your mailbox, leave room for the unexpected. Your brain needs to breathe, not a repeat schedule.
The 3 keys to a restorative weekend (really)
But then what is the recipe for an active but relaxing weekend? The expert offers a three-step solution. Like three priorities.
- Rest with intention. Rest is not an accident. It’s a decision. Choose to rest as you choose to work: consciously;
- Actively recover. Move parts of you that the week leaves dormant. Let curiosity guide you, it’s a natural vitamin for the brain;
- Disconnect from stress. Protect your weekends like inviolable territory. It’s not running away from life, it’s better coming back to it.
A good weekend is not a black hole between two weeks. It’s a space of reset, a time when the brain finds its breath, its curiosity and its clarity. With a little balance to get the most out of it!