Taking Back Sundays

I may be writing this on a Tuesday but I want to talk about the scariest of all days, Sundays. Historically, the last day of my shockingly short weekend was filled with every household task necessary to prep for the week ahead. That included laundry, grocery shopping, paying bills, meal prep, cleaning, and running every errand that was put off during the week. Boring adult stuff. It might even include a drive to visit the family for lunch because when else are we all supposed to get together without work? By the time the day ended, I was anything but rested. I was annoyed that the entirety of one of my blessed days away from the job was entirely spent preparing for the week ahead. It's no wonder a majority of us end the weekend with "Sunday Scaries". 

Now, Sundays are my favorite. They are filled with rest and reflection. Sundays are simply, not so scary anymore. So, how did I get to this point? To the point I actually look forward to this day more than most? It took some work but I made some adjustments to my schedule and mindset. This is what they look like:

Movement and Meditation: I start every day with some form of movement so why should Sunday be any different - even if it is a "rest" day? On Sundays, I usually do an easy spin class, yoga, or stretching. I follow it with at least ten minutes of meditation with the blinds open and me basking in the sun. There is no better way to start the day than with simple, easy movement and breath work. (This also works if you know you have a really stressful day ahead - dial back the intensity and dial up the calm). By starting my day with movement and meditation, I set an intention for a super Sunday. 

Time Management: Instead of stacking all my chores on the same day, I spread them throughout the week. Now, I start laundry on Fridays and usually get through most of it while remote working. I may have a small load to finish Sunday but I am no longer glued to the appliances! If you work from home any day of the week, try to get some chores in on your breaks. If you don't, spread it throughout the weekdays and Saturday (maybe clean on Tuesday evenings for 30 minutes or pick up groceries after Saturday brunch) so that you're not using up all your precious free time on the weekend. I recognize that many of us are tired after a long day of heavy brain activity, but if you can dedicate just a couple hours on the weekdays to grownup homework, it can make a significant impact on how you spend your weekend time. 

Change Your Mindset: Adulting is hard. I get it, trust me, but if you reframe these activities to focus on their contributions to your life, they will be more enjoyable and can be done any day of the week. Maybe you go to the grocery store to ensure that you have healthy, nutritious food available to energize you. Maybe you do yardwork so that you come home to a pretty place that relaxes you. Maybe you can enlist your kids to help so they learn about plants and even weeds. Maybe you do laundry so that your very busy spouse doesn't have to worry about it that week. Use these activities to bring more gratitude to your life and those in your household and they will no longer be "chores". 

Say "No": Connection with other people is crucial to a fulfilled life. It makes us tick. That being said, we all need time for ourselves and in many careers we get A LOT of interaction during the work week. We are overscheduled, with little time to process our emotions, thoughts, and even our work. Then, on weekends, we are expected to connect and spend time with all the people we really value in our lives. Sometimes, it is too much and we need to simply say "no". Do not let guilt or feeling like a bad friend or family member get in the way of what is most important for you to accomplish on a given day. You are not selfish if you need or want time for yourself. You are aware and normal. The more you say "no", the easier it gets. 

Start small and over time, you will notice a difference in your Sunday attitude. It will be the day you can journal, draw, read, and dance. A day to create. A day filled with gratitude. A day wholly for you because you deserve it.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fear Goblin Frank

As I continue to grow my business, I feel conflicting emotions. The most obvious is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of judgment. Fear of the unknown. Negative emotions have a tendency to stand louder than the positive ones. They’re based in history, society’s views, and the pressures imposed by our parents and family members. Fear will almost always be present.  But, I experience other emotions too. A deep desire to help others and grow my business. A need to align myself with my values of independence and service. Excitement for what’s to come and the authority to make decisions completely on my own. It is an adventure and a learning experience.  Many will say that you cannot live with both the positive and negative emotions. That you have to overcome the fear and anxiety before you can succeed. I disagree. I believe that we will always live with some level of fear but that we have to learn to acknowledge it and let it live within and alongside our other emotions. It will always ...
Read more

Self Talk

I started a class on language which includes both verbal and non-verbal communication in conversation and interactions among clients, friends, family, and even strangers. One of the thoughts that really struck me is how much the words you say, or your body language, can affect your beliefs.  You talk to yourself more than anyone. Have you ever stopped to consider what you are saying to yourself that may be affecting what you believe about who you are and what you bring to the table? Is your mind littered with negative self-talk? What are you saying to yourself that is true and what is baseless? What beliefs have you developed as a result of what you say to yourself? We have a tendency to distort things, spiral, or get angry and let our brains run wild. We say so many things to ourselves that are not grounded in reality but the more often we say them, the more likely we are to believe them. If you tell yourself every day that you are unworthy, you’re going to start believing it. The...
Read more

Change

The last few weeks, I’ve really noticed how hesitant people are to make a change in their lives. So many colleagues, friends, and even family members are frustrated by their day to day but they don’t want to do anything different. I keep wondering why? Why not rip off the bandaid and step forward into the unknown? My guess is that it’s fear based. That doing something new or different is always scary. What if you get a different outcome than you did with your old way of doing things? What if you fail? What if you make less money? What if someone judges you for doing things a different way? It’s all fear and shame and it serves no purpose other than to cripple you.  Change is after all, inevitable. You will never be in the same job, relationship, place, home, etc. for your entire life. Things change fast and often without input from you. What if we started embracing those changes instead of fearing them? Regardless of whether they are self-imposed or a result of others. What if we c...
Read more