The Sunday Scaries. You know what I mean–the dread, anxiety, and despair over the fact that the weekend is over and you’re faced with another Monday coming up. Maybe you call that feeling the Sunday Blues, The Fear, or The Dread. We’ve all experienced them at some point, no matter how much we might love our classes or job. First, I want to tell you that it’s okay to sometimes not look forward to the new week approaching! The weekend is full of friends, family, fun, maybe some romance and those are lovely things to want to hold onto! So, don’t feel too badly about having the Sunday Scaries!
But, I also don’t want you to spend one whole day of your weekend worrying about the upcoming week! So I’m here to give you 3 Easy Sunday Night Tips for an Easier Week! Try to implement these tips into your Sunday routine and hopefully experience a decrease in anxiety and stress and an increase in relaxation and enjoyment of your Sundays!
Complete your “chores” early in the day
A lot of people have told me they feel like they don’t enjoy Sunday because they spend the whole day worrying about needing to get ready for the upcoming week. Unless you have a staff waiting on you, there probably are certain things that need to get done to prepare for the upcoming week. I suggest getting all of your chores and prep work done early in the day. That way, you can relax for the rest of your Sunday!
Personally, I aim for everything to be done by 12:30 (my typical lunch time). This includes things like laying my outfit out for the next day, meal prepping, reviewing my calendar and schedule and any last minute work that needs to be finished up or proof-read. But that can look differently for everyone, maybe you want to be done by 3 pm and have completed your grocery shopping, yard work, and house cleaning. Regardless, set yourself up to have a peaceful week by not leaving everything you need to get done until Sunday night. This ensures that you aren’t bringing unnecessary stress into the week with you.
Dedicate 1 hour to do whatever you want
To facilitate a positive mood going into a new week, I like to dedicate one hour Sunday night to do whatever it is that makes me feel good. Some weeks that means reading a book for an hour, or maybe that means doing something creative. Other times that means just watching an episode of Greys or Friends. By giving yourself an hour to do anything you want, you’re treating yourself with compassion. This also validates that you deserve self-care and to enjoy yourself.
So curl up with your favorite blanket and a good book (like this one about Self Care). Put on a face mask and light a nice candle. Maybe you even want to do some online shopping to get something for yourself. Give yourself time for just YOU!
Mediate or Practice Mindful Meditation
If you find yourself prone to stress on Sundays, I suggest meditating or mindfulness. Mindful meditation promotes better sleep, which is an important part of starting your week off right. It also lowers the level of cortisol in your body, which decreases your stress level and helps you to relax. There’s also a combo of yoga and mindful meditation that is known to improve chronic pain! Less pain during the week is certainly something to strive for if it’s something you suffer from!
Additionally, if you experience anxiety, mindfulness helps decrease your feelings and symptoms of anxiety. All together, these benefits can improve cardiovascular health, as well! Beyond the health benefits of meditation, I like giving myself time to really center myself. I use the Breathe app on my Apple watch and do a 5 minute mindful breathing session right before bed and really enjoy the consistency of the routine. It also gets me off my phone a little before bed! And getting adequate sleep is one of the most important tips for an easier week!
There ya go, 3 easy tips to make your upcoming week go a little smoother! Do you already do any of these? Are there other things you do on Sundays to make the week easier? Comment below and let me know what you think!
