{ story.summary|safe|escape }
It's tempting to make the mistake of overfilling your weekend, returning to work on a Monday exhausted. Or taking to the sofa for two days of watching box-sets, then feeling unfulfilled and unprepared when back at your desk.
So what is the perfect formula for downtime that's both productive and leaves us recharged?
Last year a research paper published in the Journal of Economic Psychology claimed to have the answer.
Researchers asked 900 women what they liked to do and formulated the ''ideal'' timetable. After eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, next on the list was ''intimate relations'' with a partner, followed by 98 minutes spent on the computer and 82 minutes socialising. The day included 78 minutes relaxing, 56 minutes shopping and 68 minutes of exercise.
But Robyn Young, founder of life-coaching company Ubalancer, says compartmentalising activities is part of the problem. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 82 per cent of couples with children under 15 say they feel rushed or pressed for time constantly.
''I often talk to busy clients about 'role blending','' Young says. ''Instead of saying, 'I need to bond with my family and then I need to do something for my health,' get creative. Meet your friends in the park and play touch football with the kids. Make your time greater by mixing more activities.''
Even labelling the weekend as ''free time'' is destructive, as it suggests you can only have fun on certain days.
''At an airport, I always grimace when I go through immigration and they ask, 'What is the purpose of your trip, business or pleasure?''' Young says. ''It's the most intriguing question - are they mutually exclusive? It suggests that if I am travelling for business, the trip won't be pleasurable. Or conversely, that if I enjoyed myself whilst away, I can't have been productive.''
Last year the Australian Psychological Society commissioned a wellbeing survey, polling 1552 Australian adults. When asked their strategies for managing stress, 85 per cent said ''being active'', 83 per cent said ''doing something spiritual'', followed by time spent with friends and family.
The social factor seems key. According to a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research, our happiness levels are directly linked to spending time with loved ones. The average person spends an extra 1.7 hours with friends and family on weekends than during the week, which reportedly raises happiness by 2 per cent. And yet even socialising can become a chore when you're time-starved.
Life coach and motivational expert Victoria Mills says one of the secrets to ''me time'' is prioritising. It may seem overly corporate to write a checklist for your days off but scheduling events that you really look forward to or you feel you really need on your weekend helps focus your energy. ''Every family should buy a whiteboard, sit down on a Friday night together and brainstorm how they'd like to spend the next two days,'' Victoria says. ''Get clear on your goals and block out hours in the day to go to the gym, to pay bills, also to have fun.''
We also need to reassess our relationship with the ticking clock. ''So many people use time as an excuse,'' Victoria says. '''I can't make it, I'm so busy.' Yet, generally, if an activity is appealing enough we find a way to complete it. When you are avoiding making an appointment or catching up with a certain person, then be honest and look at the underlying reasons for this pattern.''
Likewise, if a task doesn't get done, silence the inner voice that makes you feel guilty.
In his book The 4-Hour Work Week, author Timothy Ferris recommends ''practising the art of non-finishing''. If you're not enjoying a movie, walk out of the cinema. If your meal is not up to scratch, put the fork down. Ferris also advocates ''cultivating selective ignorance''. In short, don't put pressure on yourself to read every book, watch every documentary and see every exhibition just because your friends or peers are doing so.
Certain hobbies are proven to have mood-enhancing benefits, such as gentle exercise and being amid nature. Helping a good cause might be another fast track to contentment.
In Australia, about 4.4 million volunteers, from lifesavers to care workers, contribute more than 700 million hours of their time each year. And, according to studies cited by the Australian Health Promotion Association, 61 per cent of people who volunteer just five times a year say it helps them feel less stressed.
But experts warn that even charitable acts must be done for the right reasons.
''A lot of people seek external validation when undertaking activities,'' says Nadine Cameron, founder of wellbeing consultancy Body Map.
''They attend a party to be seen or shop for clothes they hope will impress people. The problem is it's impossible to guarantee others will be impressed and it creates great anxiety if you act from a place of ego.''
As adults, we have responsibilities and not every weekend can be led by whims but Cameron says mindfulness is the key.
''Even brunch with your friends can be a miserable experience if you spend the time comparing yourself to others at the table. Focus on the texture of the food and the rhythm of conversation and it can be wonderful. Likewise, that pile of dishes you've been dreading washing up can be enjoyable to take care of if you focus on the relaxing temperature of the water.
''There is no formula for a perfect weekend, only a perfect mindset - positivity and acceptance.''
TO DO
+ Relax
+ Schedule (if you have to) some time for intimacy
+ Get rid of a small irritant (sort that mounting pile of unopened mail, unpaid bills, clothes on the bedroom floor)
+ Exercise and socialise - both at the same time if possible
+ Do nothing
+ Have time with family, friends or both
+ Relax some more
+ Read, watch TV or a movie, visit a gallery
+ Leave time to make the week ahead easier - prepare clothes, freeze lunches, buy groceries. Better still, turn these into social tasks by enlisting others to help.
Try to avoid
Overindulging - you'll feel worse and get further behind; always doing what others want instead of what you prefer; ignoring vital tasks, eg the washing - it will only make the next week more stressful.