How to answer “Any plans this weekend?” when you have a chronic illness
If you work with people, this question is going to come up. If you don’t work with people, any people you meet during the week may ask you this question. Before I got sick, I had ten ways to answer this question (craft fair, dog agility, hiking and the list went on). Now, it’s trickier. I don’t do many different things so I don’t have notable things to say. Eventually you can feel like your coworkers are judging you even when they aren’t. (Or maybe they are, I don’t know your coworkers)
These tips work for any variation of this question—what did you do, what will you do, what do you like to do— I think my creative answers will help you answer this question with confidence or it might give you some ideas of things to do.
Photo by asnimansari
Photo showing panini pressed sandwich in wooden plate against blue table.
“Trying a new recipe”
This is risky if you have a lot of dietary restrictions but you can do this successfully. The trick is to think of a recipe you have tried or want to try and then just say that. You can put in as much or as little detail you want. Let’s try it out:
Coworker: “What are your weekend plans Lemon?”
Lemon: “I’m gonna try a new recipe. You?”
Coworker: “Oh what kind?”
Lemon: “I’m going to be testing out cannolis!”
Coworker: “Amazing! You should bring some to the office”
Realistically, I’m never going to bring anything to the office unless I absolutely have to - but that’s not the point! I actually intend to try out cannolis (one day…) and I don’t have to include the gluten free, dairy free, low histamine bits in the discussion if I don’t want to.
Photo by Margarida Alphonso
Photo showing rolls of yarn in an assortment of colours and knitting needles.
2. “Revisiting an old hobby”
This one can be anything you liked as a child, teen or, adult. You can say anything and it makes you sound like a thoughtful and purpose driven person. Someone who deliberately pursues the same hobby for years and years and years!
For this, I like to throw in gaming, movie marathons, or tending to plants but you are free to say anything. You can say you’re getting back into reading, knitting, or lego. All valid and all low key.
Photo by Priscilla du Preez
Photo showing unmade bed with white pillows and white sheets.
3. “Prioritizing rest”
This one is a fun one because everyone knows it’s important but we rarely ever say it since we’ve been conditioned to rage on the weekends. This makes you seem chill as f%#k for being the one to say it out loud and let’s be honest, it’s what we, the chronically ill, spend our weekends doing to recover from the week if we are working or simply existing. Weekends are a time of blissful peace if you are caught in the 9-5 so saying these words aloud gives you and your coworkers just a little more permission to be quiet and do nothing.
At the end of the day, these are tips for the people in your life who you don’t want to explain your life to. There is no shame in doing nothing if that’s what you need. It can honestly suck to have to make up an answer to what are doing this weekend … especially when part of you really wishes you could still do those weekend activities like you used to. So, if you are looking for how to answer your colleagues without too much effort, take one of these tips - also if you are looking for new, low spoon activities to try on your weekend, try one of these tips for real. They have helped me feel like I have a full weekend again.
