I always feel that once I get organized on a Sunday, I have a better week. I’m not entirely sure if this is just a mental effect or if it actually works, but it’s something that has helped me so I choose to believe it.

A few weeks ago, I’d had enough of being frantic during the week. Trying to stay on top of healthy meals, getting enough exercise, laundry, socializing and walking the dog. The list goes on. The frantic feeling of trying to do it all made me feel like I couldn’t do anything. This often left me feeling down, not good enough or just disappointed in myself. The laundry pile grew, while the kitchen never seemed to be clean. The dog would mope and whinge he wasn’t getting his fix of ball play. My stomach would grumble as I didn’t plan anything for my lunch and didn’t have anything in the fridge to eat. I would often grab something from Starbucks, spending more than I wanted on items that weren’t the healthiest options.

This lack of preparation made me feel helpless, so I decided I needed a change. My goal was to dedicate a couple of hours on Sundays to preparing for the week. It took some motivation, but after a few months, I realized it was one of the best decisions I’d made for my mental health and overall well-being.

Have you ever read the book The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg? Well this booked helped me immensely when trying to create this new routine in my life. It is one I go back to time and time again.

In chapter one ‘the Habit Loop’ he discusses the concept of how habits form and operate. He discusses that a ‘Habit Loop’ consists of three key components:

• Cue: A trigger that signals the brain to initiate a specific habit. This cue can be anything from a particular time of day to a specific location or emotional state.
• Routine: The behavior or action taken in response to the cue. This can be physical, mental, or emotional.
• Reward: The payoff or benefit that follows the routine, which reinforces the habit and makes it more likely to be repeated in the future.

Duhigg discusses the importance of understanding these three cues in the habit loop are key to being able to change your habits. .

Using my old habit of not preparing for the week as an example.

Cue : The cue for this habit was the approach of Sunday evening or the realization that the weekend is ending. This would trigger me because I would feel like I not have done enough, there is no time to of it now etc.

Routine: The routine in my case was the set of behaviors and thought patterns that led to feeling flustered and unprepared. Which included:

Reward: Although this habit is ultimately unhelpful, it persists because it offers some form of short-term reward or relief, such as:

• The familiarity of the routine, even if it’s negative
• Temporary avoidance of stress or responsibility
• A false sense of having more weekend time by not preparing

Understanding this habit loop was my first step in changing it. By recognizing the cues that trigger the old habit and the rewards it provides, I became more able effectively implement my new Sunday reset challenge and ultimately take control of my weeks again.

Once I realized my bad habits (thanks Charles) I set about a goal of changing it.

This is what I try to incorporate into most of my Sundays to get the most out of my upcoming week. Feel free to take any ideas that resonate with you and leave what doesn’t.

WAKE UP EARLY (ISH)

• I’ve always found the earlier I wake up, the more productive my day feels. I try to wake up around 8:00 – 8:30 AM this allows me to really indulge in a slow morning, make a coffee, have a shameless scroll on TikTok and eat a good breakfast to set me up for my day

• Top tip: Throw on a load of laundry while you wait for your coffee to brew, your future self will thank you.

PLAN AN ACTIVITY

• Whether it’s meeting a friend for a trail walk or going to a yoga class, I try to always have something planned in the morning/early afternoon. I find this really helps me to feel accomplished and gets rid of the feeling that most of my Sunday is spent doing chores for the upcoming week.

• Top tip: If you have a dog and plan to meet a friend for a walk you are getting the best of both worlds. Walking your dog while catching up with your friends. It’s a win win.

SET yourself UP FOR THE WEEK

• Now that you’ve hopefully had a morning of relaxation and me time. (or tried your best to) its time to start prepping for the week
• That wash you put on in the morning, should be ready for the dryer
• Have a look at your calendar and see what is coming up this week. Do you need to do a gym clothing wash? Do you need to prep a quick meal for an evening you don’t have much time?
• Start cleaning one room / area in the house – for me this is normally my bedroom. I change the sheets and leave out a new pair of pajamas. I love fresh sheets for the upcoming week.
• If you’ve got you groceries in, (I usually do this on a Saturday) now is a good time to spend an hour in the kitchen meal prepping some lunches
• Wash your fruit and vegetables and cut them up so during the week you can quickly grab and go.
• I usually like to make some sort of easy breakfast item, egg bits, banana bread. Whatever you fancy to make your mornings easier.
• All of this can be done throughout the afternoon with a good playlist on!

• Top Tip: For those who tend to procrastinate, set specific times for tasks and set reminders on your phone. This helps you use your time effectively and maximize your achievements.

DINNER & CHILL

• Sunday roasts are a huge thing in my house. I grew up having them most Sunday’s so recently I’ve been recreating them myself.
• While meal prepping for the week, I usually use this time to set up my dinner meal too. This makes eating a good meal in the evening a lot easier. Peel a few potatoes and carrots and pop them in a saucepan with water. They are ready to go for later, all you need to do is turn on the stove top and wait for them to boil
• If I’m feeling really fancy, and have the time, I’ll make a cake to go with dinner. Usually a pretty simple cake but makes for a great snack during the week.
• There’s nothing like a nice Sunday roast dinner, a glass of wine, and an evening spent watching your favorite show or reading a good book—perhaps even both

• Top Tip: Decide in the morning what show or movie you’d like to watch later to have something to look forward to and not waste time endlessly searching

CONCLUSION

I loosely stick to this routine, sometimes I do everything on my lists above sometimes I do one or two things. It’s important to me to feel a little bit of accomplishment however not put to much pressure on my day and feel good about the small things I achieve.

Now when Sunday evening hits, instead of getting the Sunday scares, I feel motivated and prepared for the upcoming week. Sunday’s used to be a day of dread but now they are a day I look forward to.