The weeks can get busy fast, and if your kids are entering the age of sports and activities, the weekends can fill up even faster. It’s important that you make deliberate and intentional efforts for some downtime and prep to recharge your batteries and set yourself up for success for the week ahead. Keep reading to learn how you can create a self-care Sunday routine to help you reset and prep for the upcoming week.
I remember being a kid and not loving Sundays. They were family days which meant we couldn’t go and play with friends. I enjoyed my family, but my parents were dog tired come Sunday, so we usually just hung around the house. To me, that was boring. Now that I am an adult, I have become my Sunday parents, and my children are childhood me. 🙂
I feel their pain, but I am also fiercely protective of my Sunday reset because I know the upcoming week depends heavily on it. You can set your Sunday up to fit your needs, but I think there are 3 key elements to include.
Top 3 Things to Include in Your Sunday Reset
1. Rest
Y’all, you need to take time to rest. Burnout is a real thing, even in motherhood, and if you aren’t rested, you can’t show up as your best self. I think of rest as downtime where I get to do something that fills me up. For me, it’s laying on the couch reading a good book or taking a nap. As you set out to create your own Sunday reset routine, think about what helps you feel rested and recharged. Ideas include:
- a bath
- beauty treatments
- watching a movie
- reading your bible or any other good book
- a leisurely walk
- sitting poolside (the pools just opened where I live!)
This is also highly dependent on your personality type. I’m an introvert, so solo activities help restore my energy. If your extroverted and needed others to fill your tank, you might find a casual Sunday barbeque or sitting around the bonfire with friends as rest. Really tune into your individual needs and define what rest looks like for you.
One thing I would encourage you to stay away from is mindless scrolling on your phone. Yes, you are physically sedentary, but your brain is getting a whole host of stimulation that keeps it from quieting itself. If you start paying attention to how you feel physically after a scrolling session, I would guess it’s anything but refreshed.
2. Family Time
Especially as children get older and schedules make it increasingly more difficult to connect with one another, it’s important to carve out some family time into your Sunday.
Ideas include:
- church and breakfast
- a trip to a park
- out for a sweet treat
- a family walk or hike
- games
- a bonfire
- a bike ride
- a Sunday dinner the family preps together
- yard games
Again, I’d encourage this time to be screen free. When everyone is focused or distracted by a screen, it makes it difficult to fully connect.
3. Prep
For me, this typically happens in the later part of the day. I’ve connected with my family, gotten the rest I need, and I’m ready to set myself up for success for the week ahead. My prep includes 2 main components, 3 when I want to go the extra mile. These include:
Creating a Weekly To-do
I sit down every Sunday and write down everything I can think of that needs to be tended to in the upcoming week. I call it my “brain dump.” Then, I make a rough schedule of my week and when I plan to do each item. Finally, I finish by fully planning the next day in my appointment planner.
House Prep
The second thing I like to do is get the house back in order for the week. This is normally a family affair; everyone pitches in so it goes real fast. Aside from vacuuming and cleaning any potential mess in the kitchen, there is no actual cleaning that takes place at this time. It’s simply putting the toys and clutter back in their spots, blankets folded, and everything looking neat and presentable. I don’t do any cleaning like dusting or floor washing because those are chores that I complete during the week. And honestly, I find cleaning anything but restful. But if you love to clean and doing it on Sunday is working for you, by all means, continue doing what works for you.
Final Thoughts on Creating Your Own Sunday Reset
So there you have it, my tips for creating a Sunday reset to set yourself up for the week. If you take time to rest in ways that recharge you, make time to connect with your family, and do a little prep to schedule your week and get the house in order, I guarantee you’ll enter Monday refreshed and ready for the day ahead!
Looking for other ways to boost your well-being as a mom? Check these out! Early Morning Routine, Are you an Introverted Mom?