8 Brilliant Ideas For Weeknight Downtime With Your Best Buds

Weeknight downtime with your friends is a great way to make time for each other outside of the weekend (having entire days free at the same time can be as rare as a blue moon). Weeknights can instead be reserved for winding down and keeping up with your friend’s busy day-lives. Here are eight fresh ways to share your downtime.

1. Viewing Parties

Invite your pals over for the latest episode of the hottest TV show, binge-watch an entire series, or marathon your favourite movie franchise. If you’re feeling extra, make themed snacks and decorations for your house. Casual dress-code and mad bants are also encouraged.

2. Cinema Experience

Still not satisfied after hosting a viewing party? Or maybe you hate playing hostess. Instead, plan a Gold Class or Lux Cinema experience with your bestie. Indulge in tasty food and beverages while sinking into relaxing chairs. You may even forget to pay attention to the movie. If you love feeling bougie, this is the weeknight downtime experience for you.

3. Boardgames

If you want to forget about your work or school related worries, boardgames are an excellent distraction. While ‘Monopoly’ might trigger memories of house prices, games like ‘Cards Against Humanity’ make for a great diversion. The more the merrier, as you can always play in overly-competitive teams. Put out some good snacks, chill music, and flick on some aesthetic fairy lights. Weeknight downtime is about to get down.

4. Quiet Pub Night

Heading down to the local isn’t just for weekends. There’s live music, craft beers, and good food every day of the week. Round up a couple of mates and pile into your closest pub. Try to limit your drinks so you don’t get blackout drunk before work the next day. Just enough to feel relaxed and enjoy your time with your pals. If you want to turn the outing into a weekly event, find a pub that has regular trivia nights. Coming up with silly team names is half the fun.

5. Walkies

Evening walks are a great way to de-stress after a hectic day. You and your friend can vent while getting fresh air and admiring the scenery. Most importantly, you may get to say hello to some cute dogs who also frequent the area. Pokémon Go creates an added incentive to go outside, and its way more fun to play with friends. If virtual pocket monsters don’t appeal to you, try treasure hunting with a Geocache app instead.

6. Social Sports

You and your friends can join a team, or make your own. Pick a sport that you and your mates enjoy, or one you’re intrigued by. You can choose to play in a social league, or just against each other if you want to keep it really casual. It’s a great way to keep fit, while also hanging out regularly, and having fun. Make sure to pick an outlandish name, and an even cooler mascot. Remember, it’s not the winning that counts; it’s the taking part that matters.

7. Pamper Nights

Self-care is important. But so is caring and looking out for your friends. If you notice one of your besties is way too stressed, plan a pamper night. Paint each other’s nails, apply face-masks with slices of cucumber, and wear fluffy dressing-gowns. Show your friends how much they mean to you, and listen to their concerns. Pamper nights are a great way to relax during weeknight downtime.

8. Slow Nights

Slow nights are pamper nights for your mind. Invite some close friends over to listen to some guided meditation and eat some yummy soul food. Light scented candles, brew some herbal tea, and wear comfy pj’s. Make sure you and all your pals are relaxed in order to get the most out of a long, slow night.