7 Sunday Habits To Prepare For The Week Ahead
The “Sunday Scaries” is a very real thing for a lot of people, including myself. Especially when you have had a stressful week and the weekend doesn’t feel long enough. This is why it’s important to have a day during the weekend to relax and take it slow. Focus on relieving any stress you might be carrying from the previous week and take time for self-care, physically and mentally.
It is also helpful to do some planning for the week ahead on your Sunday because the more prepared you are with what needs to get done, the easier your week will be before any added stressors from work, social events, housekeeping, etc. It’s taken me a while to figure out a good routine for Sundays where I feel rejuvenated from the week before and get prepared for the week ahead.
1. Have a slow morning
Don’t rush to get out of bed like you would on a weekday. Let yourself lie in bed, cuddle with your partner, or snuggle with your pet. Give yourself however long you need to just lie there and think about nothing else except the silent sounds of a Sunday morning and your breaths going in and out. When you finally do get up, make your favorite breakfast and settle into your day.
It’s really important to have this kind of slow, relaxed kind of morning where you aren’t looking at the clock, or rushing to get things done. Maybe you take a longer shower than you normally would or take a warm relaxing bath with scented candles and essential oils mixed in with the bath water. Perhaps you do some breathing exercises or meditation, whatever makes the stress you’re feeling melt away and you can physically feel your muscles and mind unwind.
2. Write a to-do list for the week
At least for me, I know that I feel more prepared for the week when I know what chores need to get done, and what errands need to be run. Having all those written down in front of me helps me from getting overwhelmed and stay organized throughout the week. I know from firsthand experience that before I kept a do-to list on my fridge, I was constantly forgetting to do things that needed to get done and it just added more stress to do my day and evidently my week.
The best thing is to pace yourself, this is a good habit to form whether you are a college student, a new homeowner, or trying to keep a schedule for your family. A good way to start is to think of what you can get done in ten-minute increments.
For example, I know I can wipe down my kitchen counters, and clean my sink and stove top in about ten minutes so that is a to-do that I have for the end of every weekday. You don’t have to dedicate a whole day strictly to cleaning especially with work and other things in your life happening, there’s just no time. So setting aside ten-minute increments throughout the day can make your life so much easier and writing it down on the to-do list will help keep it organized.
3. Schedule things in your planner
Along with making a to-do list, one way to stay organized is to plan out appointments, important dates, and social events coming up in your planner. I keep mine all in the calendar on my phone since it can alert me to when those events are coming up, but you can figure out which way works best for you.
This became especially helpful when I was in college, doing internships and playing tennis, it was hard to keep track of all my study sessions, tennis matches, and exams. On top of my already packed class schedule, I needed something so I could keep track of everything, and having my detailed calendar was the key to my organization.
4. Meal Prep
This one became especially important when I started working full-time. If you like me, you are not a morning person, and the idea of waking up early to not only make breakfast but your lunch as well is not appealing. Now there is a lot of trial and error when it comes to meal prep. You can plan all your lunches and dinners, just lunches, just dinners, etc. Or what I like to do is prep the sides to my lunches, like a salad, or fruits. Since I’m someone who is perfectly happy having a ham and cheese sandwich every day but likes to mix it up with the rest of my meals, this worked out for me.
But everyone is different. I know some people will cook five meals worth of lunch and portion it into Monday-Friday Tupperware containers and they don’t have to worry about lunch for the rest of the week. Some people rather make freezer meals for their dinners as they don’t like the task of cutting, slicing, peeling, and seasoning portion of making dinner after a long day of work. Whatever works best for your lifestyle and your schedule will help you prepare for the week ahead.
5. Plan your outfits
There’s nothing worse than waking up late on a Monday and rifling through your drawers and closet to find something to wear. Planning out your outfits for the whole week is a good way to erase that dreaded scenario. With the beauty of the internet, you can see the predicted weather for the week and plan your outfits according to that and what you have going on that day.
This removes one less stressor during your week as your prepare for it on Sunday. On top of having meals prepared, a planner filled out, and a to-do list made, having your outfits laid out and organized by the day can be such a huge relief, especially on busy mornings.
6. Make time for self-care
Now that we’ve meal prepped, set out our clothes, and planned our week, it’s time to relax and take care of ourselves. Whether it’s spending the day reading, doing yoga, or enjoying a spa day with a homemade face mask and a glass of wine, taking time for yourself is extremely important. It can be hard for those who don’t want to feel like they are wasting away the day and want to be productive to unwind, but a good way to look at self-care is that it is something productive for your body and your mind.
It doesn’t have to be an elaborate routine, it can be as simple as taking an extra long shower or watching your favorite show. It just has to be something that allows you to relax and take your mind off everything else going on just for a little while.
7. Go to bed early
Last but not least, is going to bed early on Sundays. During a busy week, we sometimes don’t get to control when we can go to bed, but on Sundays, make it a priority to put away your phone, and turn off the lights at a time when you can get an adequate amount of sleep to feel rested and ready to take on the week.
