Who had a case of the Sunday scaries last night? *raises hand*
The Sunday scaries are real, friends. I think we all get them sometimes, and today on Coffee Talk, I want to talk about how we can set ourselves up for success as we start our week.
I was going through my day yesterday and I started thinking about some of the things I do (and why) in my Sunday ritual to help get me ready for the week. I try to do most of the things I’ve listed here, but hey, sometimes I don’t. I do know that if I can manage to do at least a few things on this list, it makes a significant difference in my attitude, productivity, and interpersonal communication as I begin my workweek.
(1) Make a list.
I’m a firm believer in the power of list-making. I feel like a badass when I wake up in the morning with a to-do list already made. It’s as if I’m already ahead of myself for the day. I think it also helps put your day in perspective the night before. If you make a list and you know it’s going to be insane, you can have that time to mentally prepare for it the night before. It helps me measure up my day.
(2) Pick up (clean) your house.
I didn’t want to full out say, clean your house, because let’s face it, sometimes that is way too large of a mountain to climb on a Sunday. However, simply picking up your surroundings – especially your work area – is going to set you up for success the next day. I don’t know about you, but I get a lot of satisfaction and personal feelings of accomplishment, if I can start my week with a clean house.
(3) Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Nathan travels during the week so when he’s home on the weekends, sometimes our weekend to-do list gets a little out of control. When this happens, all of a sudden it’s Sunday night and half of what we “needed” to accomplish that weekend hasn’t been checked off my list. Look, if you didn’t get everything done that you wanted to over the weekend, don’t sweat it too much. Sometimes we start our weekends with the best intentions – i.e., “I’m going to clean the house this weekend!”, “I’m going to finish working on the yard!”, “I’m going to write a week’s worth of blog posts!” – but let’s face it, we’re only one human. We can’t always get everything done, and that’s okay. It’s better to be kind to ourselves, and acknowledge the things we were able to accomplish as we go into our Monday. Trust me, going to sleep on Sunday night letting yourself feel accomplished will change the way you start your week.
(4) Go to sleep.
Don’t stay up. Go to sleep. It’s simple. The research on burnout and recovery says that the easiest way for you to combat feelings of burnout is sleep. Make sure you’re starting your feel on the right foot by getting an appropriate amount of sleep so that you’re well-rested.
(5) Do something you enjoy.
Add “fun” (whatever that is to you) to your Sunday to-do list for once! Do something for yourself – catch up on a favorite show, paint your nails, cook a favorite dish, take your dog for an extra long walk, or play card games with your significant other (my personal fave). Do something that is going to help you gain back some of those psychological resources you lost during your week responding to stress, so that you’re affect is in a positive place come Monday morning.
