Coffee on a monday after a productive weekend, here’s what went well this time. Much better than usual!

Don’t work weekends

If at all possible, keep time to yourself on the weekend. Use it to read, relax, catch up on housework, do hobbies, spend time with wife or kids (or date otherwise). Etc. You need breaks, mentally, to remain sharp, and physically, to remain energetic.

So, it should be the default mode to not work on the weekends. But, sometimes that thing is broken, the deadline is looming, the competition is knocking, etc…

So how do you recharge (or at least not ruin your next week), while still being productive? Here’s what just worked for me.

Have a supportive partner

The best weekend warrior advice I can give is to have a supportive partner, which is also the best life I can give. Partner up with someone who knows and appreciates what you’re going though, preferably having been there before. My powerhouse wife has a 10x work ethic over me, and also (somewhat telling) has 10x the work boundaries that I do.

Tell people you need the time

Give time family, friends, or anyone else who is counting on you to adjust their plans. I had been telling my wife for two weeks I was going to be in a crunch and needed the time. We worked together to make that time.

Work on highest net happiness tasks

Maybe there’s a bit of work you wanted to do, but it wasn’t the highest priority for everyone. Do that now! It’s your time, and assuming you’re a decent employee, you gave it everything you had during the week. If you must give more, at least prioritize the tasks that will provide the most relief or enjoyment once they are done.

Take breaks

Code has to compile, emails might need a reply, Claude is busy having an existential crisis. Either way, go outside, to the gym, read a little, watch part of a movie, vacuum the floor, play with legos, listen to an audiobook. Hell, go have a margarita on the back porch. This time is yours, spend it how you want.

Unless your livelihood is threatened with imminent demise (and it almost never is, even if your emotions might say it is), you should not be over-exerting yourself during personal time.

Be alone

There’s something really awful about explaining to your kids that you cannot go play bubbles outside because you have to work. For me, at least, even seeing my wife go about her day pulls me away from work.

Worse, if you’re following this advice, and everyone is around to see you take a margarita break during a Claude task, you might be in for some difficult misunderstandings. “I thought you had to work!” is the seed for guilt (for you) and feelings of being taken advantage of (for them).

Send the kids, partner, etc to a spa day or trip to grandparents, maybe, but don’t add to the guilt by having them mope around the house while you burn yourself out.

Make it up to them

No doubt your spouse is pulling extra weight while you’re working. Or your friends are noticing you missed the event. I can’t emphasize enough:

Life is short, and consistently distancing yourself from those you love will have long term consequences for your happiness.

You’ll want to make it up to them. Do extra work around the house, cover your partner when it is their turn. Buy dinner for friends next time.

Have something to show

For employer, family, and friends, you want to have something good to show for the extra time. Tell your spouse you’re in a better place now, give your boss some extra results, etc. Check in Monday morning right away with something to show.

Now, there’s a risk of coming across as a performative worker. Those are the worst. Depending on your team culture, it might be best to keep the results just between you and the boss, or to somewhat downplay them. Weigh the tradeoffs, but if someone had to bend their schedule to allow you to work when you normally don’t, you better have something to show for it.