It’s time for your Sunday morning reset. You’re still in the makeup you forgot to take off last night. There’s clothes all over your floor and makeup scattered across your desk. You’re dehydrated. You’re hungry. Your head hurts. It’s already 11am, how did half the day go by already?
If this sounds familiar, you’ve probably experienced the Sunday scaries. The Sunday Scaries is a devastating diagnosis, but you’re in luck: it’s totally curable. Beating the scaries comes down to making your weekend as stress-free as possible by minimizing responsibilities and preparing ahead of time. If you know you’re going out on the weekend or have some fun social activities stacked up, you can assume you won’t have much time or energy to get things done on Sunday. Rather than squeeze your to-do list into a stressful Sunday reset, save yourself the trouble by adopting a Thursday reset.
As a girl that goes out, the Thursday reset changed my life. Here’s how to do it:
Get Ahead on Homework for the Weekend
I find that what I stress most about at the end of a jam-packed weekend is how much homework and studying I have to cram in before Monday morning. As you might expect, the solution to this is fairly simple: do your schoolwork ahead of time. Yes, it feels like the most dreadful thing in the world while you’re doing it. Yes, it takes self-discipline. Yes, it requires sacrificing a chunk of your free-time. But, sacrificing one long night in a library during the week is a way better (and wiser!) option than having to sacrifice part of your weekend to finish homework. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve kicked myself for having to skip fun weekend outings to catch up on work. Finishing homework with a massive headache and looming sense of dread and regret has become a regular part of my Sunday routine. Enough with the self-sabotage, get your work done early. Set aside a few hours on Thursday to lock in and get everything done that needs to be submitted before Monday evening. If you’re struggling with motivation, use your screen time to watch these creators to boost your productivity.
Cross Off As Much of Your To-do List as Possible
The key is to keep your weekend as free from responsibility as possible. This means you need to have an organized list of everything you need to get done before the new week begins. I write a fully fleshed-out to-do list each Thursday that prioritizes items based on importance and time-sensitivity. Then, I tackle as much of that list as I can on Thursday. Planning ahead allows me to knock off the more urgent tasks I have on my mind, leaving me with less stress and more flexibility during the weekend. This system helps me feel better about taking Sunday to truly relax and unwind.
Update your Calendar, Set Reminders for Scheduled Events
There’s nothing like a night out to leave you completely discombobulated and clueless the next day. Don’t let going out make you forget a meeting or important event you promised your friend you would make it to. Every Thursday night I update my Google calendar with every academic, work, and social event I have lined up for the weekend. I always double check that I have my calendar set up to remind me 20 minutes before the event begins. Having back up systems like this in place is the only way I feel confident that I won’t drop the ball no matter how chaotic the weekend gets.
Do Your Maintenance Routine
Sundays should be for self-care and recovery, not maintenance. Do your “upkeep” like self-tanner, lashes, shaving, nail appointments, and hair styling Thursday night so that Sunday is left for the more relaxing parts of self-care. If these more time-consuming self-care activities have already been done you can use Sunday to decompress with a long bath and a good book. Skip the scrambling and save Sunday for a true recharge.
Deep Clean Your Room
On a similar note, Sunday cleaning should be for strictly tidying up. No one wants to deep clean and organize with a headache. Also, save yourself from the frustration of waiting for a laundry machine to open up by doing laundry on Thursday because it seems like everyone on campus waits until Sunday to get their laundry done. If you deep clean on Thursday you can enjoy your downtime during the weekend in a clutter-free space physically and mentally. This small shift can make a big difference in how prepared you feel for the week ahead on Sunday.
With a little planning, organization, and self-discipline you can completely transform your weekend into a fun, stress-free recharge. It’s all about finding a balance between the Thursday and Sunday reset that works for you– letting you be productive and have fun throughout the week.