Every now and again, your colleagues or managers will approach you with small talk as a way of being polite or to pass the sometimes-daunting hours at work.
So, they’ll ask questions like how was your weekend to get a conversation going.
Only you know how your weekend was, but we’ve compiled a list of responses to how was your weekend so it can be easier to come up with one, especially for the introverts among us.
Here are 25 of the top responses to how was your weekend to describe your time:
10 responses to “how was your weekend?” when you just stayed at home and did nothing special
Some weekends, it’s understandable to want to just stay home and have time to yourself.
After all, the hustle and bustle of the work week is draining sometimes, so people need to take time to recharge in preparation for another week of work.
Saying “nothing” or giving an answer that seemingly brushes off the person who asked can be taken offensively and can jeopardize your working relationship when the conversation turns awkward.
So, here are examples of what you can say when you are asked “how was your weekend?” when you spent it at home:
01“I bet it wasn’t as interesting as yours! I caught up on my favorite series and did a bit of cleaning, so pretty uneventful.”
This is a good response if you’re someone who takes the weekend to binge-watch your favorite shows and just laze about in bed.
Photo by Charles der Unsplash
02“I just stayed at home this weekend. I was feeling a bit under the weather.”
This is a good response if you are someone who is known for going out on the weekends.
This says you took it easy this week and provides an optional reason for doing so.
03“It was good. I got some much-needed sleep and I’m ready to tackle this week!”
It is a good idea to use this response with a new boss or your manager. It shows that you are enthusiastic about your job.
Photo by Jordan Vanderzalm on reshot
04“It’s been so busy around here lately I decided to take this weekend to unwind, you know?”
Use this response with a co-worker or colleague with a similar workload who will understand exactly what you mean.
It’s a way of relating to and building a stronger relationship with your co-worker.
05“I finally got myself some overdue beauty sleep and cheated on my diet! I deserved it after closing that big deal.”
This is a good response when something good happened at work worth celebrating and a co-worker is curious about how you spent the weekend.
06“It was okay. I had some weird dreams, but that’s about it.”
Dreams in this sentence can be substituted with any regular or uneventful activity that happened, but the point is that this response says nothing out of the ordinary happened.
Photo by Elina Djan on reshot
07“Same old, nothing special, you?”
Use this response when you aren’t in the mood to talk about your boring weekend but wouldn’t mind listening to your colleague talk about his/her weekend.
08“It was nice and peaceful. My wife/husband and the kids were away for the weekend, so I had a lot of time to myself.”
This is a good response when you just spent the weekend in your own company, not doing anything special.
09“Watched the game, did some chores, and took it pretty easy. How about you?”
Again, you can substitute the game for another event, such as a series finale or premiere.
It is a good response that gives enough detail to show the other person you are interested in the conversation.
10“It was pouring rain, so all my plans got canceled. I just chilled out at home.”
Use this response when your weekend plans got ruined so you decided to stay home instead.
It’s especially good to use if you had told the colleague or manager about your plans.
Photo by Jon Ly on unsplash
10 responses when you spent it with friends and family
A great weekend can involve chilling out with friends and family, by going out on the town, having a game night, planning a movie night and so much more.
These weekends are generally more exciting and are when you make the memories that will last a lifetime.
Since weekends such as these can be spent doing different things, it’s better to give a summary of events than to potentially overwhelm your colleague or boss with all that information. So basically, short and to the point.
When you get asked “how was your weekend?” after spending it with friends and family, here are some ways you can respond:
11“My girlfriend/boyfriend and I rented a cabin/hotel room and had a romantic getaway. It was much needed!”
This is a good response whenever you spend an intimate weekend with a lover.
Photo by
Briona Baker on unsplash
12“It was fantastic! I spent it with some of my old college friends and we had a blast catching up.”
Use this when you’ve had an amazing weekend with friends. You may also include minor details of what happened during the weekend.
13“It was so relaxing. We went swimming in the lake and had a little bonfire.”
This is a good response to use when your weekend with family was more on the slow-paced side but was nonetheless enjoyable.
14“It was a riot! We all had too much to drink and passed out at Dan’s house!”
This is a good way to respond to “how was your weekend?” when you had a very eventful weekend, whether you drank until you passed out, went dancing, or went to a concert.
However, we would suggest that you could say this to a colleague you are close to, but maybe not your manager/boss!
Photo by acworks on photo-ac
15“It was lovely- thanks for asking. We had a family game night and invited some neighbors over. You should come next time.”
This is a good response to use since family game nights are common on weekends. Extending an invitation shows that you see the colleague as a friend.
16“There was some good weather, so we had a family picnic in the park. The kids had so much fun.”
This is another example of a weekend that was pretty laid back but was also very entertaining.
17“It was great, thanks for asking.”
This is a good response to use when you don’t feel like giving too much detail, especially when you aren’t close with the boss or co-worker.
It’s also perfect when you aren’t in the mood for a conversation, but you don’t want to come off as rude.
Photo by acworks under Photo-ac
18“I had a really good one. I hope you did too.”
Use this response when you aren’t prepared to tell your story to the person who asked, but you wish to answer out of politeness.
19“It was a much-needed mini family vacation. I should take them more often.”
This is an especially good response to use with an understanding boss when you feel like you have a lot on your plate and you are relieved to have time to yourself.
It sends a subtle message that maybe he/she should ease up a little.
20“It was pretty good actually. I spent the weekend with my partner’s family and got to know them a little better.”
Use this type of response for family-related weekend activities. It is a good response because it sends the message that you belong to a loving family.
Photo by acworks on photo-ac
5 responses about the weekend during the pandemic
Pandemic weekends are much different from regular weekends. Most of it is spent in quarantine and those brave enough to go out in public spend it at awkward social distances.
In most cases, the person already knows the answer, so this is generally a way to make small talk.
In some cases, such as when close friends and family ask, it’s a way to check up on you and find out how you’re managing all the changes.
Here are 5 ways to respond to “how was your weekend?” during the COVID-19 pandemic:
