The busier our lives get, the more we seek out ways to increase productivity and organization. I know the Sunday Scaries can be overwhelming and make us want to hide from our responsibilities that come with Monday mornings, but using Sundays in a way that helps you feel well-rested and prepared for the coming week is a huge game-changer.
Here are 10 ways you can increase productivity on Sundays & prepare for a new week:
1. Make a to-do list for the upcoming week
The first step to optimizing your productivity is sitting down and making a list. Lists all of the tasks you need to accomplish for the upcoming week. Put a star next to your highest priorities. From there, begin assigning tasks to each day of the week. But please remember to be mindful of not adding too many tasks to one day. And just like that, you have an outline of your week ahead!
2. Set attainable goals
Set some intentions around a few attainable goals you want to reach for the week. Maybe you want to eat more meals at home rather than dining out. You might want to fit in one more day of exercise. Or maybe you want to work in an extra hour of writing. By taking the time to set your goals before the week starts, you’re more likely to find ways to work them into your week.
3. Meal prep
You can save yourself so much time (and money!) by preparing your meals ahead of time. Maybe you struggle to find time to make breakfast in the morning. Or maybe you noticed you’re buying lunch out too often. Use this opportunity to prep for the week. Might as well also get creative and try new recipes! Anything you can do to buy back some time during the week will reduce stress for you later.
4. Get some fresh air
Sundays aren’t meant just for banging out your chore list. Take some time to get outside, go for a walk, and breathe in the fresh air. Allow yourself to enjoy your free time. This way it won’t feel like you’re hopping from a busy weekend right into a busy week.
5. Schedule in some self-care
You can make self-care whatever you want it to be, and it doesn’t even have to cost you any money. Self-care can be taking an afternoon nap, going to a nearby park and sitting on a bench to read a book, having a friend over for afternoon coffee, or taking a hot bath. How ever you choose to incorporate some TLC into your Sunday, just make sure you do something that allows you to focus on yourself.
6. Tidy up
Get ahead of the busy week by tackling small piles that accumulated over the last few days. That way, you can start fresh and clean, and you won’t feel like you have clutter all over the place throughout the week.
7. Relax
You don’t have to pack your Sunday full of tasks in order to start off on the right foot Monday morning. Work some relaxation into your Sunday as well. Whether that means grabbing a great meal out with friends or family or staying in your pajamas, choose how you like to relax best and allow yourself to do it.
8. Shift your mindset
Spend some time focusing on the positives your upcoming week will hold, the goals you have set for yourself, and what you are most looking forward to. By allowing your mind to be filled with positivity and hope, it leaves little to no room for negativity to creep into your mind.
9. Schedule your writing time
Keeping writing time in your schedule is very important for reaching those writing goals, so be sure to incorporate time to write. Even if you only have 30 minutes a day, that is still 210 minutes of writing per week you can use to make a large dent in your word count.
10. Make sleep health a priority
Healthy sleep habits are extremely important, so use Sunday to reset your sleep schedule and stick to it for the rest of the week. Did you know adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night? To set yourself up for a restful sleep, set aside any screens and step away from any work tasks at least 1 hour before bed.
What other activities do you do on Sundays to optimize your productivity throughout the week? Comment below!
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