Using Sundays to set yourself up for a successful week

Weekends are precious oasis between the work days, but we often don’t utilise them very well. Some weekends are so jam-packed with activities and chores that we enter Monday already exhausted. Other times, we let the weekend slip by without achieving anything, which can leave us feeling disgruntled on Sunday night, and rushed on Monday morning.

For me the ‘Sunday scaries’ always get me around 3pm. I can feel the weekend ending, but I begin to dread the start of the working week. I usually turn on the TV and start snacking to hide from the feeling that MONDAY is coming. This isn’t a great way of dealing with it, obviously. In the end, I’m more down, knowing I’ve wasted my entire Sunday afternoon. Recently, I’ve been trying new ways to set myself up for a good week on Sunday, and some of the simplest things have had the biggest impact.

Don’t do any work. ANY work.

Firstly, make sure that you put aside work for the day. I don’t just mean your 9 to 5, I also mean household chores and even non-recreational shopping. It sounds crazy, I know. We all have a million things to do and already feel like there isn’t enough time in the week. But hear me out. Having a whole day in which to only do recreational things is something we all deeply need.

Taking all of Sunday to rest highlights how many unnecessary things we burden ourselves with. Do you really need to check your work email? Must you grocery shop on Sunday? Will the world really end if you don’t vacuum today (or even this week, as my husband likes to remind me)? Obviously, the answer is no.

Take the day to sleep, see family and friends, do a hobby or read a book. Let the laundry be. Emptying your Sunday of work helps create an oasis of peace in your busy week. It’s a true chance to relax before the work week starts.

Schedule something fun for Sunday evening

This next tip might sound a little crazy, but it really works. If, like me, you can find the ‘Sunday scaries’ looming as the weekend wraps up, this is what you need. Just schedule something fun on Sunday afternoons or evenings.

It doesn’t have to be crazy and it shouldn’t keep you out so late that Monday is a struggle. Go out for dinner or low-key drinks with friends. See a movie with someone you love. Have someone over for afternoon tea. Start a board-game night tradition with your household. Building something fun into the tail of the weekend keeps you looking forward to Sunday afternoons, rather than dreading them.

Try it out, it really works! A work/chore-free Sunday, with a lovely little activity to look forward to at the end is the perfect way to enter the fresh week restored and cheerful.