What to Do on Fridays to Make Monday Easier, According to Reddit

“Sunday horror stories” may be cliché, but they’re also real . The fear we feel about the coming week is related to the relief we feel on Fridays as the weekend approaches. But instead of seeing Friday as a time to get away from your responsibilities, what if you used it to set yourself up for a relaxing weekend and a less daunting return to the work week? This Reddit thread has some great tips on how to do it.

Don’t create new problems for yourself

“If you don’t change anything on Friday, then you won’t need to fix it on Saturday,” writes an IT user on Reddit. (They call this custom “read-only Fridays,” using jargon for a file you can view but not modify.)

We can extend this idea to any action that might trigger a reaction or request for more work. Some emails need to be sent at the start of the week so you don’t have to answer them on Friday afternoon or deal with them first thing on Monday morning (or worse, deal with a supposed emergency over the weekend).

Close as many browser tabs as possible

You might be tempted to just close your laptop when your work is done, but if your week has created a lot of digital junk — or physical junk like those dirty mugs you didn’t take with you to wash — do yourself a favor down the road. and tidy up a bit.

“On Friday, I’m doing a favor for my future self,” writes one Reddit user who not only closes tabs but also makes a checklist for Monday so nothing gets lost in the shuffling. In a stunning display of self-compassion, they add that “when the current me is too physically or mentally tired to do favors for me in the future… I look back and say, well, I had a bit of a hard time in the past… and I needed to rest.”

Budget for upcoming expenses

If Friday is your pay day, be smart like this redditor and take a minute to plan your budget so you know exactly what basic expenses your paycheck will cover and how much you can have left over for fun stuff.

Wash

“[I] take my pants off as soon as I get home,” one Reddit user wrote . I won’t need them until Monday. Friday is a great time to wash these pants along with any work clothes or gym gear you won’t need for the weekend.

Several people said they have a tradition of washing bed linen at the end of the week so they can enjoy ” Friday Fresh Sheets ” on rest days. If you’re feeling particularly inspired, you can do some extra house cleaning work while you’re at it.

Schedule family time or a date

Friday doesn’t have to be all work and no play. Several Reddit users have described how they set aside time on Friday night to spend time with the special people in their lives.

This couple go to their favorite restaurant and then come home with takeout and play video games with their kids. The other couple do “album recognition and appreciation” (they call it “4A Friday”), where they take turns choosing music to listen to together.

However, you don’t need a partner to make Friday special. This dad is spending time indoors with the kids, this redditor is meeting up with a longtime group of friends, and this person is making time for his dog:

I come home, clean the house, and then spend an hour loving my dog, who is almost 15. I whisper cute nonsense in her ear while we watch TV, and it calms me down. Whatever happens on Saturday or Sunday it doesn’t matter because I can always think of the great time I had with my puppy.