Do you tend to walk into the new week anxious about how you’re going to accomplish all of your goals? Do you experience what is known as “The Sunday Scaries”?
Psychologist and Neurologist Lindsay Browning explains this concept as having “Too much on our mind, like too many to-dos or major issues we are thinking about. We can find that our stress levels rise due to excess cortisol and adrenaline.”
This pressure and anxiety can be quite debilitating, leaving you drained before the week even begins, and negatively affecting your productivity. However, there may just be a solution to help you walk into the new week feeling empowered, and ready to tackle everything that comes your way, known as the “Sunday Reset”.
What Is a Sunday Reset?
With several million TikTok views and millions of YouTube videos, this popular social media trend has become a way of life for many. Best described as taking a day out of your weekend (usually Sunday) and dedicating it to preparing for the week ahead, Sunday Reset gives you the opportunity to reflect on your previous week and what you accomplished, giving you the opportunity to adequately map out the next week.
From goals you want to achieve, to chores you’ll need to get done, Sunday Reset is an effective way of ensuring your week ahead is as productive as possible.
How To Sunday Reset
While there’s no specific routine for everyone to follow, Sunday resets share a common, healthy mix of rest and productivity. The premise of the Sunday Reset is rooted in key factors:
- Reflecting
- Planning
- Decluttering
- Relaxing
Reflecting
The time we take to reflect on the week prior allows us to identify and adjust the things that aren’t working in our schedules. From knowing what times and places affect our productivity, to whether we stick to our eating and exercise plan, having this information allows you to spot what worked and what didn’t, allowing you to make adjustments that ensure optimal functioning, and goal achievement through planning.
How To Do This
Center yourself. Open your notepad and think back to your week. What did you accomplish, what goals need a bit more attention, and what could you have done differently to operate at your optimum level?
These are the questions you need to ask yourself. Jot down everything that comes to mind, and once you’ve done this, move on to the next step.
Planning
Planning your days brings your important tasks into focus, which gives you a sense of purpose and accomplishment when you check things off your list. It has been proven that planning your days and activities promotes productivity levels.
Creating a schedule for your days allows you to establish a healthy work-life balance, which is important for various aspects of your life, including your mental health and performance, as it helps reduce stress and also prevent burnout in the workplace.
How To Do This:
Make this an enjoyable experience, because looking at your to-do list can be quite overwhelming. Turn on some music, light a candle, and brew a cup of tea to relax your mind. Pull out your daily planner or open your calendar app that can sync to all your devices.
Photo by Jess Bailey Designs
Go over your tasks and prioritize them according to their importance, and work your schedule around these tasks. This allows you to schedule activities such as exercising, running errands, and meal times.
Decluttering
Doing a bulk of the chores that would typically consume a lot of time during the week, at the beginning of the week, allows you to be able to focus on your daily tasks, without feeling overwhelmed by the added pressure of extra chores/tasks, which guarantees higher productivity levels.
From doing laundry to organizing your closet, getting these out of the way allows your week to be dedicated to goal accomplishment without any distractions and added stress.
How To Do This
While this is dependent on your individual responsibilities, this is where you prioritize activities such as cleaning your house, doing your laundry, stocking up on food or house essentials, or getting your meal prep out of the way.
To make this an enjoyable experience, turn on your favorite podcast, a new album, or some relaxing ambient sounds. Listening to these sounds can also add to your productivity. The purpose of this is to get the high-energy, time-consuming tasks out of the way, so you have enough time to focus on your determined goals during the week.
Relax
Now that all the energy and time-consuming tasks have been eliminated, it’s finally time to take care of you. Remember, you don’t want to completely wear yourself out. Therefore, it’s very important to take some time out to ensure that you are energized and equipped to tackle the week ahead. The purpose of Sunday Reset is to enter into the new week well-rested with a clear head.
How To Do This
Run yourself a hot bath, make yourself a green smoothie, read a book, meditate, or watch your favorite series. This is about doing what you enjoy, and distressing for the week ahead.
Resetting: The Key To A Productive Week
Sunday Reset is simply that, resetting. It is essential to begin the week the right way, as this determines how it will go. Establishing a routine is extremely important. Doing so helps you manage stress more effectively, sleep better, eat healthier, and prioritize physical activity.
While it is popularly done on Sundays, you can shift this to a Saturday too.
The important thing is to take the time to unwind, reflect, and walk into the next week prepared. Doing so helps you be more equipped to accomplish your goals.
MAIN IMAGE CREDIT: Photo by cottonbro studio
References
- Fraser, K., Love, P., Campbell, K.J., Ball, K. and Opie, R.S., 2022. Meal kits in the family setting: Impacts on family dynamics, nutrition, social and mental health. Appetite, 169, p.105816.
