SUNDAY RESET ROUTINE

 

I never used to be a fan of Sundays, I just saw it as the end of the weekend and a reminder that the same weekly routine would begin again. Sunday's are often the more chilled day of the weekend and this makes it perfect for a sort of 'reset', and this can mean something different for everyone. You can do this anytime but I think it's natural to be in the mindset of making changes at the start or end of a week/month/year, but do whatever feels good for you!

There are so many ways to reset, most of which involve slowing down (both mentally and physically) and focusing on yourself. I know that dedicating a whole day to this is a complete luxury but many of these things can be done in a small window of spare time, or alongside something else. 

A vital part of a beneficial reset experience is self-care. There are many different forms of self-care and only you know what is best for you but here are some of my suggestions! 

• Get outside and going on a walk
• Have a bath
• Listen to something - music, podcasts, audiobooks etc. 
• Watch something 
• Journaling
• Exercise
• Do something creative 
• Rest, take a nap or sleep
• Socialise - self-care doesn't always have to be time spent on your own!
• Skincare/Haircare
• Baking, cooking or eating foods you enjoy
• Social media detox 
• Make a hot drink
• Cleaning/organising

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The 4 R's for Reset

Reflect

• Ask yourself some questions. 
• Why do you feel like you need a reset? It may be as simple as just wanting to relax after a long week in order to feel more refreshed again
• Do you need to make some changes? What can you do that is going to benefit your life and your physical/mental wellbeing? This could be stopping/starting something or perhaps you just want to make a small alteration. Don't do too much at once, start small and you're more likely to stick with it!
• What are some things you've been enjoying and that make you feel good? It can be easy to focus on things you want to improve or change but acknowledging the positives is just as important!
• Journaling is a valuable tool that many people find very helpful, especially for self-reflection and development. You may want to write brief notes like answers to these questions. Others might find it useful to ramble and write down all their thoughts (often known as a brain dump). Journaling is personal and different for everyone, there is no right or wrong way! Also, you definitely don't need to journal, I don't and still have good mental clarity!

Re-visit

• Take time to look at all aspects of your life - work/education, relationships, interests, physical/mental wellbeing etc.
• If you have any goals or resolutions then look at them again, especially if you made them at the start of the year. What progress have you made? Is there any you need to change or no longer see as a priority? Have you achieved any already?
• Do the same with any regular habits you have. What is working and what isn't? Forming new habits is a process and requires time and discipline - I'm planning to do a post about habits in more detail soon!
• If you've set aside some time to 'reset' before, re-visIt your experience. Again, think about both the positives and areas for improvement. 

Remind

• Set things up to make things easy and efficient for yourself
• If you're feeling stressed, overwhelmed, have a busy routine or just have a lot of errands and tasks you want to do then taking some time to organise this can be very helpful.
• It's difficult to remember everything so reminders can be a very useful way to stay on top of things. This could be in the form of a calendar, checklist, a notice board or simply setting up notifications on your phone.
• It's also important to remind yourself what is important to you currently, what are your priorities? 
• You don't have to, but writing things down (physically or digitally) is a great way to be intentional with the way you spend your time. I've found it helpful to organise tasks under 'today', 'tomorrow' and 'someday' - which could be later in the week or at some point in the near future. The 'someday' list is a place to note things as I think of them and makes it less likely to be forgotten about, especially if it's not something with a specific deadline.

Rest

• Generally, the easiest way to feel refreshed is being well-rested or at least giving yourself time to relax.
• A good morning and night routine can really help you to achieve this - it doesn't need to be too complicated but may improve the way you start and end the day.
• I've noticed that slowing down and being more intentional with my time often means that I'm more efficient with anything I need to do and have more time to relax and rest.
• I enjoy running a bath and watching some Netflix to relax, especially if my muscles ache from working out!

I know this is a pretty extensive list but you certainly don't need to do it all! The purpose of a Sunday reset is to do more of what is best for you so it will be different for everyone. I just wanted to provide as many tips and suggestions for anyone interested in trying it out! I'm looking to do some planning for the upcoming week today and rather than making it a last-minute thing, I want to spend time organising tasks by priority using a digital checklist.