Want to make your week run a little smoother?
Try one or all of these Sunday rituals to kick-start a feel-good week.
Block out time for yourself
“Don’t try and find the time, schedule time.” — Noah Kagan
Proactively schedule time to rest, recharge and rejuvenate your mind and body throughout the week. It could be going for a walk, enjoying a long bath or taking a nap.
It could be practising yoga or going for a bike ride. It could be journalling, meditating or painting. It could be kicking back on the couch and watching some Netflix.
We all have different ways of caring for ourselves, and once we crack our own personal self-care code, it becomes a lot easier to look after ourselves.
What does your version of self-care look like? It can be helpful to brainstorm a list of activities and rituals that fill up your cup.
Consider things you can do in less than 10 minutes, within 30 minutes and within 60 minutes. This will give you a practical list to refer back to when you are stuck for ideas.
Image credit: Saint Belford.
Write a realistic to-do list
The key word here is realistic.
Unrealistic to-do lists (the ones that feel endless) will have you feeling overwhelmed before the week can even start. Realistic to-do lists (the ones that allow you to pace yourself) provide a sense of purpose and reduce decision fatigue when Monday rolls around.
You might want to begin by brain dumping everything that’s on your mind. That’s what I use the Drawing Board in Curation for.
Filter through your list and consider what is truly a priority for the week. Once you have your top priorities, consider what else you can realistically do this week, taking into account your various appointments and commitments. Avoid overloading. Embrace the white space in your planner.
If you feel as though everything is a priority (we all feel this way sometimes), stop and ask yourself these five specific questions. This will help you figure out what is actually a priority, and ultimately focus your time and energy mindfully.
Plan your meals in advance
Consider your state of mind after a long day at work. Figuring out what to eat and whether you have the necessary ingredients can feel like a very annoying chore.
Planning your meals in advance saves you unnecessary decision making during the week and helps you make more mindful food choices rather than ones motivated by your level of hunger and tiredness.
Take a look at your appointments and commitments for the week and consider the cooking time of the recipes you’re looking at.
You might also find it helpful to include some “leftover” dinners to make it easier on yourself on the days you have a lot more on your plate (pun intended).
For example, if Tuesday is looking like a big day, can you cook more on Monday to alleviate the stress of cooking on Tuesday?
Image credit: Saint Belford.
Stock the fridge and pantry
This ritual goes hand in hand with planning your meals. The recipes you’ve selected for the week will help form your shopping list.
Stocking the fridge and pantry means fewer trips to the supermarket. You’re basically consolidating all (or most) of your daily trips to the supermarket into one productive trip.
Go to bed early
How you start your week can really set the tone for the days that follow.
It’s no surprise that your sleep quality impacts your energy levels and overall mood.
Deep down, we all know how much sleep we need to function at our best. The number varies from person to person, but it generally falls somewhere between seven and nine hours.
Work out your magic number. Subtract it from the time you need to wake up. For example, if you need nine hours sleep and your alarm is set for 7am every morning, you ideally want to be sleeping by 10pm.
This doesn’t mean jumping into bed at 10pm and expecting yourself to fall asleep instantly. Give yourself adequate time to wind down and switch off.
Consider a bedtime routine. This might involve switching off most of the lights around the house, enjoying a cup of chamomile tea, limiting screen time and having a hot shower.
Remember, new habits and rituals don’t form overnight. They require repetition and commitment. Be patient and kind to yourself as you weave one or more of these rituals into your week.
This article was originally published on the Saint Belford website, and has been republished with permission.