You’ve had a stressful week and the weekend is finally here! So, what are you going to do? You could lay around and veg all weekend or you could do something productive for your mental health to reduce stress and anxiety.

What is a bucket list?

A bucket list is something that you’d like to accomplish within a certain time frame. These lists do not have to include wild, crazy, expensive adventures as one might think. Bucket lists can include things such as reading a certain number of books, taking a hike, learning how to cook, or volunteering your time.

Weekend Bucket List for your Mental Health

1. Go for a walk / Take a hike outside—exercise increases endorphins and other “feel good hormones” in our bodies, and when we are outside, we can benefit from vitamin D that our bodies receive from the sun.

2. Connect with Friends—having an uplifting support system is great for mental health. Choosing to spend time with people you enjoy invites a level of fun into your life.

3. Start a Gratitude Journal—gratitude is correlated with happiness. The more we focus on the things we are thankful for, the more positive emotions we experience.

4. Meditate for at least 5 minutes—meditation has been proven to decrease stress and negative emotions while increasing focus, creativity, and self-awareness.

5. Watch the sunset—be present. There have been research studies conducted that show sunsets have a positive effect on mental health such as relieving stress and creating a sense of contentment.

6. Try a new recipe—when we try new recipes, we are often not only making healthier choices, but we are also more mindful in what we are trying to accomplish.

7. Read a new book—reading not only exercises the brain, but it also reduces stress, improves sleep, provides a sense of enjoyment, and increases concentration.

8. Start a garden—gardening is a great mood booster! It reduces overall stress, improves memory, builds strength, and provides a sense of empowerment.

9. Donate clothing / Volunteer—Donating & volunteering takes the focus from our own stuff and changes our perspective to how we might help others in need. It creates a sense of generosity, reduces stress, anger, and anxiety, increases happiness and self-esteem, and creates the opportunity to be part of a community.

10. Go 24 hours without social media or screen time—Decreasing screen time improves sleep, mood, focus and physical health.

Go out and have fun this weekend. Get creative and put together your own weekend bucket list!