The Only Way to Start Your Week Right Is With a Sunday Reset Routine

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy A Sunday Reset MattersComponents of a Sunday Reset RoutineOvercoming Challenges to Your Routine

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Why A Sunday Reset Matters

Components of a Sunday Reset Routine

Overcoming Challenges to Your Routine

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Finish homework. Complete household chores. Run errands. Catch up on work from the office. For some, Sunday is just another day to get things done and a jump start for the work week.

And the research backs this up. In fact, a recent LinkedIn survey found that nearly 75% of the American workforce experience the “Sunday scaries” and are filled with dread and anxiety about the week ahead.But you don’t have to be afraid or stressed on Sundays when you can swap your bajillion weekend responsibilities for a Sunday reset routine.

Getting some well-needed R&R is just what the doctor ordered. Take a look below at how you can create your very own reset routine, plus learn about all the benefits of resting and preparing for the week ahead.

Single-Tasking for Productivity and Stress Management

You might think that a Sunday reset routine is about planning for the upcoming week, but it’s much more than that. Rather, it’s about stepping away from the everyday flurry of appointments, meetings, text messages, and calls vying for your attention. You’re shifting your focus to something that reinvigorates you.

“I see a Sunday routine more as an emotional boundary to prevent burnout rather than just a way to prep for Monday,” saysCheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC, the owner ofEvolution to Healing Psychotherapy. “By taking this time, you’re saying, ‘I matter, and my well-being comes first.’ It’s a powerful way to reclaim your time and make sure you start your week on YOUR terms.”

Nadia Murdock, a mindset and movement coach atGarage Gym Reviews, says she began focusing on herself and her self-care at a young age, which has become a habit that contributes to her mental health and wellness.

“[Sunday] is the day that I pour into myself,” she says. “Even as a kid, I did my own manicures and facials. Even as my life changes over the years, I try to stay true to the idea of slowing down on Sundays and finding ways to empower myself for the week ahead.”

Benefits of Creating a Sunday Reset

Prioritizing yourself is just one of several benefits of a Sunday reset routine. Some others are:

How to Develop and Practice Self-Regulation

While calm and rejuvenation is the goal, you have to work for it! Consider the tasks that can pile up throughout the week or the little stressors that can become a big deal. Create a plan to address them as a part of your reset routine.

Laundry and Cleaning

Prioritize what needs to be done. Clean clothes for school or work. An uncluttered area in your living space—a place that allows you to rest and think. Things that are essential for your well-being.

Meal Planning and Preparation

Staring at the open refrigerator wondering what to eat for dinner is stressful! Planning on Sundays will keep you from feeling stressed about cooking. Meal plan on Sunday and freeze items that can quickly be heated up during the week. Incorporate bagged salads and other healthy grab-and-go items you can whip up without much effort. The goal is to have food that’s goodandgood for you, that’s also available and easily accessible.

Self-Care

Tips for Taking Time for Yourself

Setting Goals

Goalsgive you a target to work toward. While you want to be diligent about putting in the effort to achieve your goals, you don’t want to stress about them every Sunday. “You can start to set goals and plan for the week ahead but remember it’s fine if things don’t go exactly as planned,” Groskopf notes. “The goal of a Sunday reset routine is to create a supportive and nurturing environment to start your week without beating yourself up if you don’t complete every task.”

ReminderYou can incorporate all of these components into creating your routine based on your preferences. So, what does that look like? It’s turning off your phone and computer to give yourself a break from screens, so you can think clearly and uninterrupted. It looks like allowing “no” to be a complete sentence and being firm with your boundaries. And it looks like adding some absolutes into your Sunday reset routine that bring you pleasure and joy.

Reminder

You can incorporate all of these components into creating your routine based on your preferences. So, what does that look like? It’s turning off your phone and computer to give yourself a break from screens, so you can think clearly and uninterrupted. It looks like allowing “no” to be a complete sentence and being firm with your boundaries. And it looks like adding some absolutes into your Sunday reset routine that bring you pleasure and joy.

How to Achieve Goals

Consistency is important and a key component ofcreating a routine. Give yourself time to find what works for you. Becoming impatient or assuming it’s not working because you haven’t given yourself time can be discouraging. Be willing to add flexibility when needed.

Try This!Get an accountability partner. This can be as simple as talking to a friend about their Sunday reset routine and encouraging each other to honor the commitments you’ve made.

Try This!

Get an accountability partner. This can be as simple as talking to a friend about their Sunday reset routine and encouraging each other to honor the commitments you’ve made.

“A well-crafted Sunday Reset Routine should bring clarity to our minds, purity to our hearts, and sincerity to our actions,” Pandya adds. “This holistic approach allows us to truly give our best in the coming week.”

2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fisher, Catherine.Sunday Scaries Are On the Rise Among Professionals - Here’s How to Soothe Them. LinkedIn.Hamdani SU, Zill-e-Huma, Zafar SW, et al.Effectiveness of relaxation techniques ‘as an active ingredient of psychological interventions’ to reduce distress, anxiety and depression in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International Journal of Mental Health Systems. 2022;16(1):31. doi:10.1186/s13033-022-00541-y

2 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fisher, Catherine.Sunday Scaries Are On the Rise Among Professionals - Here’s How to Soothe Them. LinkedIn.Hamdani SU, Zill-e-Huma, Zafar SW, et al.Effectiveness of relaxation techniques ‘as an active ingredient of psychological interventions’ to reduce distress, anxiety and depression in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International Journal of Mental Health Systems. 2022;16(1):31. doi:10.1186/s13033-022-00541-y

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Fisher, Catherine.Sunday Scaries Are On the Rise Among Professionals - Here’s How to Soothe Them. LinkedIn.Hamdani SU, Zill-e-Huma, Zafar SW, et al.Effectiveness of relaxation techniques ‘as an active ingredient of psychological interventions’ to reduce distress, anxiety and depression in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International Journal of Mental Health Systems. 2022;16(1):31. doi:10.1186/s13033-022-00541-y

Fisher, Catherine.Sunday Scaries Are On the Rise Among Professionals - Here’s How to Soothe Them. LinkedIn.

Hamdani SU, Zill-e-Huma, Zafar SW, et al.Effectiveness of relaxation techniques ‘as an active ingredient of psychological interventions’ to reduce distress, anxiety and depression in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International Journal of Mental Health Systems. 2022;16(1):31. doi:10.1186/s13033-022-00541-y

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