The 10 Best Sunday Habits to have to crush the week ahead

The blues, Sunday blues to be exact. We’ve all been there. It usually hits me around 3 pm on Sunday after I’ve had a nice relaxing morning of doing nothing.. I start to think of the great weekend that I had, but that never-ending to-do list (which didn’t get done over the weekend) starts to creep up in the back of my mind. You then spend the rest of the week stressed out about everything that needs done and before you know it, it’s the weekend again and you repeat the process over.

Weekends are usually the only time that we have to truly enjoy ourselves and try to put the work week behind us before we have to deal with it again. But the truth is that we also need to make time for all of the other things that need taken care of, that we don’t have time for during the week. It is so easy to let life get ahead of you, and to be stuck in a constant state of overwhelm, especially this time of the year. We have all of the holidays coming up, kids are back to school, sports season is kicking off, the weather is changing, etc. But the to-do list KEEPS. STACKING. UP.

It always feels like there is never enough time in a week, but setting aside a day each week to pull your ish together, frees up so much time throughout your normal day to day. It is so worth it and I am here to tell you that it is possible to avoid feeling this way!

Anytime I start my week unprepared, this immense feeling of angst seems to follow me around all week. I can’t even count how many Mondays I have woken up dreading the week and everything that I have to get done.

This about sums up how this past week has gone for me. Which is what brings me here right now, writing this post. From our washer machine breaking down and having to buy a new one to having a golf tournament take up most of our Sunday (so worth it though), my to-do list piled up even more than our dirty laundry. And yes I am talking about a real pile of dirty laundry, lol. Which might I add, even though we only went one week without a washer, I feel like I can’t catch up to it!

All of that being said, I decided that I have had enough. The time has come for me to pull it together because I’m tired of feeling so overwhelmed and so unprepared for the weeks ahead. The good news is that there are so many ways this can be avoided!

Today, I am here to talk about that good ol’ Sunday routine. I strongly believe that this is something everyone needs because they help you feel refreshed and ready to take on the week ahead! BUT, it shouldn’t be something that you dread. After all, Sunday is still part of your weekend so I am definitely not suggesting that you spend the entire day having no fun or relaxation!

I put together a list of 10 habits that are great to have in your routine. I know that nobody has time for all of them, but everyone loves to have options, right?! So I gotta give the people what they want! I suggest that you choose a few of them and stick to them. By sticking with them week after week, you will be able to find the habits that make the biggest impact on your week ahead and you can alter it to fit your lifestyle and needs. This will look different for everyone, so don’t go comparing your routine to someone else’s. What works best for you might not be right for someone else!

I’m posting this on Friday in hopes that it will give anyone interested enough time to set themselves up for a successful Sunday!

The Ten Best Habits for your Sunday Routine:

The first thing I turn to if I am ever feeling unprepared or out of place, is my to-do list. It is something that has always helped me get myself back on track and organized enough to know what needs to happen next.

If you aren’t a big list person like me, here are a few tips to get you going:

Start by writing out everything that needs done, don’t be afraid to add detai.l
Once you have everything written down, go through and pick out the top 2-5 most important tasks.
The amount of important tasks that you choose really depends on how large the task is and how many sub focuses each task has.
Once you have picked your top priorities, assign certain days to each task if you can, to help plan out the week ahead.

2: Self-care Sunday

It is SOO important to make time for yourself each week. Since the week can be super busy, Sunday is a great day to fit this in.

Just remember that self care looks different for everyone, so here is a list of a few ideas:

Go on a walk
Paint your nails or got get them done
Soak in the tub
Do a face mask
Read a book
Write in your journal
Step away from social media
Call family or friends
Go shopping
Netflix & Chill
Get outside
Go on a date with your S.O.

3: Tidy up

A clean and organized house will make anyone feel more prepared to take on the week. This doesn’t mean that you need to go all out and scrub your house down from top to bottom. That is the last thing people want to do on a weekend (or at least that’s how I feel). But it never hurts to do a little sweeping, wipe down some counters, or even just pick up the kids toy, or dog toys in my case, lol. Decluttering the space around you well help to clear up your mind to focus on everything else that needs done during the week.

4: Go grocery shopping

Sunday has always been my grocery shopping day. Have you ever started a work week without having gone food shopping and just felt all out of wack?! It drives me CRAZY when I do that and I always get so mad at myself when I have to find time to go shopping after work.

The key to this is that you should go early on Sunday. Don’t give yourself to much time or else you might convince yourself that you have enough food to manage for the next day or so, its dangerous! You will feel so much better just getting it done, trust me!

5: Wake up early

This is something that I struggle with no matter what day of the week it is, but ESPECIALLY on a Sunday. It’s not so much the waking up early part that’s hard, because usually my body won’t let me sleep past 7, it the whole getting out of bed and moving around thing that I don’t do so well at.

What I do know though, is that there is always a better use of that extra time spent laying in bed. It may not feel like it at the time, but starting your day like that can lead to an unproductive day. That is my experience with it at least!

But by all means, if you need those extra zzz’s, take them!

6: Workout

For most of my life, I have treated Sunday as a rest day. Not just for working out, but for everything involved. But in the real world, Sunday is the start of the week. NOT Monday. If you plan on having a productive week, you can’t just suddenly start everything up on Monday and expect all your problems to solve themselves, right?

You can probably guess what happened all of the times I told myself that I would start my workout routine back up on Monday or that I would start eating healthier again. NOTHING. I got nowhere.

A workout can feel like a reset sometimes. I always come out of a good workout feeling like a brand new person! I don’t know about you, but I have never regretted working out. So why not start your Sunday as the best version of you that you can possibly be?!

It is guaranteed to help you have a more productive Sunday!

7: Clean out your inbox

Nobody wants to start their Monday with a full inbox. Getting your inbox cleared out will take a weight off of your shoulders for the start of the week!

8: Go to sleep at a reasonable time

This can be so hard to do because you are still fired up from the weekend, but you will appreciate it in the morning. On Sunday’s I always set a goal for myself to at least be in bed and off of my phone. Whether you are able to pull both of those off, it is always a good idea to at least have that set time in mind to help make it a habit!

9: Nighttime routine

Nighttime routines are amazing and I highly recommend starting one, if you don’t already have one. Having a routine in place is a great way to signify to your body that it is time to shut off. This doesn’t have to be anything extreme. An example of a nighttime routine could be doing a face mask or reading a book while you drink a cup of tea and then once you are done with your tea going upstairs to wash your face, floss and brush your teeth, etc.

What you decide to do is totally up to you. It is best to choose something that you know relaxes you, and to give yourself enough time to unwind before bed.

10: Nail down a morning routine

This one may be the MOST important, not just for Sunday, but for the entire week as well. Whether you think about it or not, everyone usually already has a morning routine. Take a second to think about your mornings and how you go about them. Is there anything that you could do differently that will positively impact the rest of your day?

For myself, I need to stop hitting that stupid snooze button so many times! Who’s with me?! It gets me every morning.

Morning routines are SO important because this is how you are starting each and everyday. Everything that you are choosing to do is setting the tone for the rest of your day. So why would you start it jumping out of bed with 20 minutes to spare and barely giving yourself time to get dressed before you have to head out the door?

My mornings always consist of making the bed, washing my face, brewing a cup of coffee and eating a solid breakfast. This isn’t a crazy routine but it is what I know and what helps to prepare me for my days! Are there plenty of things that I could change or add into it? Absolutely. This is something that I want to work on for myself because I love waking up on the right foot!

Monday is like a black hole. If you don't prepare for it or know that it is there, you will be the first one to get sucked in. So make sure to get yourself ready!

What do you incorporate into your Sunday’s that helps you feel like you can better take on the week?! Comment below, I would love to hear from you!! I am feeling so much more motivated to dial down on my routine this weekend and can’t wait to update you guys on how it goes. If you want to follow along make sure to follow me on Instagram @stephreadblog 💗. Links can be found at the top and bottom bottom of this page! That’s all for today friends! I hope everyone has an amazing weekend!

What are you waiting for?! Go crush next week!