Self-Care Sundays: How to Prepare for a Successful Week

Link to the original article on Walker’s Legacy

March 1, 2017

For most of us, the weekend is the only time to get a break from hectic academic and professional lives. While thinking about what we have to do for the next week is the last thing anyone wants to think about, doing so can actually prevent a lot of the stress that we experience. Below are two main reasons why Sunday is the perfect day to prepare for a great week.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

Recharge

Intentionally setting Sundays aside for a day of spiritual, mental and physical rejuvenation will definitely leave you feeling better throughout the next week. Carrying the stress from last week into the next will do nothing but add on to what you’re already dealing with. Taking time to meditate on the last seven days as well as your intentions for the next seven clears your mind and allows you to mentally prepare yourself for the week ahead.

Take the day for self-care, whether that be a face mask, making time to call your friends and family, or watching a movie or reading a book. Setting aside time to do what you enjoy starts the week on a positive note. If you can, do some light exercise (such as yoga) that isn’t too taxing on your body.

Goal: Release stress from the previous week and refocus yourself to be more motivated to execute your goals.

Plan Ahead

Benjamin Franklin stated, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” While not taking the time to prepare for the week ahead may not ensure failure, per se, you definitely won’t maximize your productivity. Take an hour or so to sit and think about all of what you need to get done for the week. For tasks without specific deadlines, such as grocery shopping or general studying, list them in order of urgency to figure out what you need to do first. If you have a planner, write down everything day by day, color code and block out your tasks categorically (i.e. School, Extracurriculars, Personal). Make sure that your schedule is set up to where you can be flexible with your time and aren’t rushing between tasks. Obviously, you can’t plan for unforeseen circumstances but don’t pack your schedule so that if one does occur, you can’t adjust accordingly.

Also, If you’re able to, take some time to plan out your meals for the week to avoid the likelihood of impulsive or unhealthy eating habits.

Goal: Prepare yourself for the week ahead so that you can effectively break down your tasks and feel more accomplished when you get everything done.