How Not to Labor on Labor Day

What's the point of celebrating Labor Day if you're working harder at home than you do in the office? I believe that Labor Day is a day to celebrate work by not working, but that doesn't mean that you should finish up old projects you've had on backlog or run everyone else's errands. That first Monday in September should be treated like a Sabbath day! Whether you're male, female, or child, Labor Day is a day to sit back, relax, and enjoy life without the rigors of the normal workday. So let's get to work on not doing any work. Being that Labor Day lands in September (the ninth month of the year) here are nine tips on things to do so that your Labor Day is labor-absent.

Tip #1: Order out or cook enough over the weekend not to have to cook on Monday. The objective here is not to have to cook on Labor Day. If you're able to order out, then order out and have it delivered. Or if you want to take the extra few steps to go to your favorite restaurant, or even try somewhere new, then do that! Again, the point here is not to have to cook and then clean the kitchen up afterwards.

Tip #2: Spend part of the week before cleaning the house so you won't have to that weekend. For some people holidays are a time to catch up on the stuff you didn't get a chance to do during the week. Our objective here is that by doing household chores during the week prior to Labor Day, you actually avoid doing work on Labor Day (and the weekend before if you do a good enough job). Wouldn't you love to wake up to a clean house on that Monday? Best chance of that happening is to start the previous Monday and spend the next three or four days getting to work!

Tip #3: Go on a "staycation." If you're not in a city that has a ton of things to do, or even a lot of free options, then perhaps go to a nearby suburb. Another option would be to take a drive that's less than an hour or two away for relaxation. The goal here is to see more of the city without running errands and without going somewhere because you have to. I would have said take a three-day vacation, but I know not everyone is in a financial position to do that. So what's the next best thing? A vacation in your city, or near your city. Go to a museum, go to a sporting event and support your local team. Go to a cooking class. Take in some art. If your city is by a lake or river or ocean, take some time and just see the beauty of creation.

Tip #4: Visit friends and family. More often than not there is someone in your family or circle of friends who will be grilling on Labor Day. Find them out and go visit them! Usually this is a good day for family gatherings that isn't tied to anything else but just getting together. It's also a good chance for friends to get together over coffee or lunch or whatever and just catch up in a relaxed atmosphere.

Tip #5: Have a movie day... all day. Whether it's at the movie theater or in your home, make Labor Day a movie day. Catch up on recent movies or watch movies you haven't seen in a while. And remember, from tip #1 you have food already prepared, so you don't have to worry about what to eat! I actually recommend the at-home option for a movie day so that you can get comfortable. You don't have to figure out what to wear; pajamas work really well in this setting. You have food already. You have control of the movie through your Blu-Ray or DVD or VHS equipment, therefore if you missed something you can rewind... don't like something you can fast-forward... add commentary... put in closed-captioning... I mean, what more could you ask for in premium movie entertainment?

Tip #6: Eat with paper plates and plastic utensils. Even if you have food brought to you, do you really want to be washing dishes on Labor Day? Probably not! Make it a completely lazy eating experience by using paper plates and plastic utensils. You can extend this by drinking beverages out of cans or bottles if you'd like. Don't use this as an excuse to not drink water. There is such a thing as bottled water! Just throw the bottle away when you're done along with the used paper plates and plastic utensils for easy cleanup after a great meal that you didn't prepare.

Tip #7: Turn all of your phones and computers off (or as much as you can anyway). Technology is a wonderful tool that we use (and some need) in their everyday lives, however, it can be quite the distraction and quite the addiction if not done in moderation. I recommend that on Labor Day, unless absolutely necessary to have them running or available, turn off your house phones, your cell phones, your smartphones, your work phones, your computers, your laptops, your netbooks, and the like.

Tip #8: Do something new and/or creative. What a better way to spend a day off than doing something you've never done before. I believe (and perhaps this is scientifically proven) that doing new things can be invigorating. It can give you an adrenaline rush - trying something new. It can excite you and put you on edge at the same time. Work can get mundane and repetitive, even at the best of jobs. Labor Day is a great day to put a wrench in the routine and see what will make it work better.

Tip #9: Take the Tuesday (and maybe Wednesday) off AFTER Labor Day and make it an extended vacation! I try and make it a habit to extend vacations around days that are already provided to me if at all possible. Sometimes there's nothing worse than having a day off knowing you have to go back to work the next day. Then you're spending the evening preparing for the next day and if something isn't going according to plan then you have to adjust your schedule, make alternate arrangements, etc. That defeats the whole purpose of it being a day to relax! So if you can, take the next day or two off afterwards. This also helps those who feel like they've wasted a day by being lazy. On the extra day(s) off you can do those side-projects you've been meaning to get to, or visit that loved one, or whatever it is you tried to do on Monday but chose not to do.