One may often hear people refer to Sunday as the “Sunday Scaries”. This phrase is centered around the anxiety and stress that many people feel on Sundays, particularly in the evening as the reality of the upcoming workweek set in. I am a woman who believes that our mindset is creating our entire lives and that one can not only overcome the “Sunday Scaries” evenings, but that they can actually thrive in their Sunday evenings. I love my Sunday evenings as I get to use it as an opportunity to set up and prepare for the upcoming week ahead. This is not to discount those times when work can be busy and we may be feeling the stress of that, but most likely those Sunday Scaries are coming from a sense of overwhelm for the busy week ahead with work and life obligations. While we may not be able to anticipate all that will happen at work for the week, we can set up our weeks ahead of time on Sunday with the things that are within our control to help create more ease around the workweek ahead. Below are five productive Sunday night tips that you can do for an easier workweek ahead.
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plan your meals for the week
I usually plan my household’s meals for the week on Saturday to be able to make a grocery list for shopping, but on Sunday I will sit down with my planner and pick which meal I will cook for each day. For example, I know that Monday is a busier day at work, so I will pick a quick meal to cook for this day whereas Wednesdays are much slower, so I will pick a meal that may take longer as I will have more energy for cooking that night and then on Friday to give myself a break after the long week, I will cook a meal with very few ingredients and that is super quick. Understanding how your work ebbs and flows will give you clarity on what meal suits each day best. But with your meal plan in place, you’ll never have worry about what’s for dinner or if you have the ingredients needed as everything will be clearly planned out and ready to execute.
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check the weather and pick your outfits for the week
If you go into the office like I do, then a good habit to get into for the week is checking the weather on Sunday evenings and planning your outfits accordingly. I love style and clothes, so this a fun chore for me to do. I will check our weekly weather to plan my outfits appropriately for the days that I am in office. Is it going to be very hot? Is it going to rain? Is going to be freezing temperatures? Is it going to be cold in the morning, but quite warm in the afternoon? When I know what the weather is going to be for the days that I am in office I can plan my outfit for each day, group the items together and in order such as, grouping a button-down blouse and pencil skirt together to be worn on Wednesday, grouping a pair of slacks, silk cami and blazer together for Thursday and a simple dress for Friday. Having my outfits picked out, ready to wear and in order saves time and mental energy throughout the week for more ease.
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plan your workouts, self-care and fun for the week
Every Sunday evening, I have a ritual where I take my planner, my favorite pen and a few highlighters up to the 36th floor of my apartment and plan out my week ahead. During my planning session I will schedule in the things that I have prioritized to do for the week such as the types of workouts I will do and on what days, then I will schedule in self-care tasks for things like facials, manicure, hair mask, etc. I will also schedule in fun as well as this it is so important that we are taking time to do something that is purely for the pleasure of it. I may schedule in tasks such as a coffee date with a girlfriend, a Friday night movie at the cinema, a trip to the park, a picnic, etc. When your week is planned out for the things that you value it makes it easier to incorporate them into your week instead of just hoping that you might get a workout in or had intentions of doing that facial. Don’t let these important things become a should have, could have, would have’s in your life. Make time for them and schedule them so that you know you will have the time to do these things and are able to properly show up for them stress-free.
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clean out and organize your workbag
Our workbags carry our weekly life in its beautiful pockets, but like most things in life it does need to be cleaned out and reorganized and doing so on Sunday evening will provide an optimal start for your workweek. When cleaning out my workbag I will remove every object inside and then first go through any smaller bags to see if something needs to be trashed, removed due to it not being used or replenished like lip balm. Then I will clean the electronic items inside like the laptop and air pods to have clean items to start the week. After that I will check a list on my phone to see if I need to bring anything from home into the office for the work ahead like a new notebook, pens, highlighters, hand sanitizer, etc. I will pack and organize everything back into the workbag and then it’s ready for another week of work. Cleaning out my bag once a week ensures that I am organized for the week ahead and that my workbag has everything it needs.
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start with a WEEKLY RESET of your home
We see them all the time on social media, but there is true value with starting the week with a weekly rest of your home. A weekly reset can encompass many things, but my favorite things to reset for the week to make the workweek easier as well as more pleasurable is cleaning out and organizing the pantry/fridge, cleaning the bed sheets, cleaning the shower, having all of the laundry clean and put away, cleaning the kitchen sink, refilling the coffee pods, and a quick dusting of the furniture and vacuuming of the floors. With these items completed I can start the week in a clean and organized home which will optimize my time and energy for the workweek ahead. I can focus on work tasks knowing that the house during the week only has to be minimally maintained and tidied.
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