HOW TO | Weekend rituals with Juliette Steen

Photo: Juliette Steen

For lifestyle journalist, photographer and blogger Juliette Steen the weekend is a sacred time at the end of a busy work week, where rituals play an important role in slowing down, disconnecting from work, stress and finding time to reconnect with herself through exercise, reading, cooking and spending time with loved ones.

"The weekend morning is where I can truly slow down and listen to what my busy mind and tired body are asking for: a time where I can gently cocoon myself away from the bustling world outside my home; to make and eat breakfast without the clock dictating where I need to be; to spend time and connect with my loved ones".

Photo: Juliette Steen

For Juliette the weekends represent a time where we can check the worries and concerns of the week at the door. A time where we can just let go, ground ourselves again and feel truly rejuvenated after a good night's sleep.

"Not everyone has time to do this, it’s a privilege, I realise, but everyone has their own ways to unwind, be it as little as enjoying a quiet drive on the way to where you need to go, or having that alone hour or so once the kids are asleep. It’s not so much the doing but what that moment provides you: a quiet, brief sense of surrender".

A typical weekend morning for Juliette consists of waking without an alarm, enjoying a quiet moment in bed reading a book or doing some meditation. Then preparing a delicious breakfast, such as fruit toast with caramelized banans, cinnamon, fresh berries and peanut butter. After breakfast the day might take her to the beach with her partner or an energising exercise class.  

Photo: Juliette Steen

The weekend rituals help Juliette wind down but also to find calm and mentally prepare for the week to come. But most importantly making sure that the weekends remain a time for her to focus on the important things in life, health and wellbeing, loved ones and truly listening to what her body needs.

This is an excerpt of Juliette's piece on Weekend Rituals to read the blog post in its entirety or to check out some of her delicious plant based recipes or to just enjoy some pretty cute photos of her cats, head to her blog www.thelifelist.co. For more photos and snippets of Juliette's life, make sure to follow her on Instagram.