A weekend is supposed to be a time for relaxation, maybe even inspiration. But is it? Or is it an elaborate joke, set up to make us feel guilty for lying around binge-watching shows while others, supposedly, are doing yoga at dawn?

For some, the weekend means seizing the day—writing that novel, hitting the farmer’s market, and preparing the organic meal. For others (read: me), it’s more like “seize the blanket, seize the remote, and let the chips fall where they may.” Literally. Relaxation is the game plan, and self-care means a late start, plenty of naps, and a TV screen asking, “Are you still watching?”

Of course, there’s the social pressure. Friends? Going out? On one hand, putting on real clothes and being “present” sounds like a borderline Olympic event. On the other hand, when else do we get to catch up and pretend we’re extroverts? There’s a delicate balance here, usually solved by promising yourself “just one drink” and then somehow winding up in a late-night bar.

And what about productivity? Let’s be honest: weekends are mostly for thinking about doing things and then never doing them.

So, what is a weekend? I think it’s a little bit of everything—relaxation, inspiration, accidental productivity, and sometimes, a late-night bar.

A weekend is supposed to be a time for relaxation, maybe even inspiration. But is it? Or is it an elaborate joke, set up to make us feel guilty for lying around binge-watching shows while others, supposedly, are doing yoga at dawn?

For some, the weekend means seizing the day—writing that novel, hitting the farmer’s market, and preparing the organic meal. For others (read: me), it’s more like “seize the blanket, seize the remote, and let the chips fall where they may.” Literally. Relaxation is the game plan, and self-care means a late start, plenty of naps, and a TV screen asking, “Are you still watching?”

Of course, there’s the social pressure. Friends? Going out? On one hand, putting on real clothes and being “present” sounds like a borderline Olympic event. On the other hand, when else do we get to catch up and pretend we’re extroverts? There’s a delicate balance here, usually solved by promising yourself “just one drink” and then somehow winding up in a late-night bar.

And what about productivity? Let’s be honest: weekends are mostly for thinking about doing things and then never doing them.

So, what is a weekend? I think it’s a little bit of everything—relaxation, inspiration, accidental productivity, and sometimes, a late-night bar.