13 Things Smart People Do Every Sunday

The term ‘Sunday scaries’ refers to the feeling of dread that many people experience on Sunday once they've realized the weekend is almost over, and Monday morning is imminent. When the scaries strike, it can be tempting to burrow under a blanket and disassociate while watching Netflix or just sleep the day away. Successful people, however, know how to push through and make the most out of their Sundays. 

Here are 13 things successful people incorporate into their Sunday routines. If you play copycat, you'll see life improvements fast. 

1. Meal prep

Mondays can be excessively hectic, so the last thing you'll want to do after a first day back at work is spend your night cooking. Planning out your meals on Sunday allows you to save time during the week to focus on achieving your goals. Plus, you'll have healthy food at your disposal rather than going out to lunch (again). That sounds like a win-win. 

2. Decompress

Self care is important, and it’s absolutely true that you can’t pour from an empty cup. You never know what the week ahead will bring, so taking time to relax and care for yourself could be the recharge that helps you keep it together. Enjoying a bubble bath, meditating, or journaling are a few ways to chill out, but feel free to explore until you find a routine that works for you.

3. Read

Reading helps people gain knowledge and escape from the everyday stresses of life. Successful people know that there’s value in the stories of others and that everyone has something to share. Taking time to read on Sundays can help you view things in a different way by giving you a new perspective on the world around you. That will feed creativity, and mindfulness, in the week ahead. 

4. Plan the upcoming week

Successful people don’t let their week derail! If you write down everything you need to take care if in the week ahead, tasks won’t catch you off guard halfway through the week. 

5. Tidy up

Living in a chaotic environment can lead to feeling out of control. By reining in your environment at the start of the week, you tell yourself that you are in control of your life. That's a good headspace to tackle the days ahead. 

6. Check in with loved ones

Making time for loved ones is essential for well-being. Checking in with loved ones also reminds you of everything you have to be grateful for, along with the reasons you work so hard. Having a strong support network is a must for successful people.

7. Set intentions

Going through life without a grand plan can make it easy to get off-course without even realizing it. Intention-setting is one practice that Oprah swears by for staying on track. At the beginning of each week, write down what you hope to accomplish and how you plan to move toward your ultimate goal by turning abstract ideas into concrete actions.

8. Reflect

Thinking back about the positives and the negatives of the previous week is an important step successful people take to keep moving forward. By assessing what did and did not work in the previous week, you get a sense of what adjustments you should make. That will keep your weeks useful — and organized! 

9. Have some fun

While making strategic moves is important, so is taking time to actually enjoy what you’ve earned so far. Having fun serves the obvious function of being enjoyable, but it also can act as an incentive to finish all of the practical tasks that don’t feel fun in the moment. Take some time to yourself after you've got everything done for the day. 

10. Get moving

Exercise has mental and physical benefits and can help you think more clearly. Taking just an hour out of your day to run or go to the gym can help get your blood pumping so that you can focus on other tasks throughout the day. Successful people understand that things that can be unpleasant in the moment will pay off in the long run, and this extends to physical health. That Sunday run might stink, but it will pay off. 

11. Express gratitude

Acknowledging what you're grateful for can lead to attracting more things worthy of gratitude. It’s easy to get locked in a game of comparison with other people, but this behavior can be toxic and sometimes lead to inaction. Reflecting on the good in your life can serve as inspiration to keep pushing for more. 

12. Indulge in a hobby

By focusing on a non-goal related hobby, you’re able to give your mind a rest while also picking up a new skill. Successful people know that they have to do to protect themselves from burnout, and this is one of the most effective ways they do it.

13. Try something new

Life begins where your comfort zone ends. Experiencing new things can stimulate the brain and give rise to new ideas and methods for doing things. If you always do what you’ve always done, you can become uninspired and unable to come up with new ways to solve problems.

More on the weekend:

• 4 Ways To Beat The Sunday Blues

• 8 Women Share How They Cure The Sunday Scaries

• 5 Ways To Disconnect And Unwind On Weekends

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Kayla Heisler is an essayist and Pushcart Prize-nominated poet. She is a contributing writer for Color My Bubble. Her work appears in New York's Best Emerging Poets anthology.