The Ideal Sunday Routine to Kickstart Your Week

I like to vegetate and lay in bed watching bad reality television (I’m a Jersey Shore gal) all day as much as the next girl, but I immediately regret not being productive on Sundays as soon as my busy, overwhelming week starts on Monday morning. The goal of every Sunday should be to make the rest of your week less stressful and easier to handle; however, relaxation is also an important component of Sundays. Over my past two years at Pitt, I have developed the ideal, three-part Sunday routine to kickstart your week: relax, grind, relax.

Grinding as soon as you wake up can feel like every other weekday, so start off your Sundays right with a little morning relaxation!

Wake up with no alarm

My day is automatically better when I’m not grumpy from my alarm blasting first thing in the morning, so let your internal clock start your morning.

Make a special breakfast

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, but during the hectic week, I tend to value sleep over breakfast. Sunday mornings are the best time to have pancakes, eggs, bacon and orange juice: the real deal breakfast.

Take a walk or go get coffee

Sundays can feel claustrophobic with work, so getting outside before you have to clean and cook for the week can be super beneficial. Fitting a Dunkin’ date with your bestie into your routine is a bonus, too!

No one likes to do chores and get ready for the week, but unfortunately, it has to be done. I have learned it’s better to sandwich these tasks in between relaxing and doing things you like to do. So, the quicker you get done grinding, the quicker you are able to begin the next relaxation stage of the day.

Make a to-do list/schedule

College is obviously busy, and I feel like so many events and assignments happen every week that I just can’t keep track of them all. My solution is to put every single club meeting, activity and assignment into my planner before the week begins, so I can gauge how busy my days are going to be before they happen.

Finish up any homework and studying

Ideally, I don’t have to do any homework on the weekend, but this is virtually impossible. I finish up everything I have to do at the library usually, so none of my schoolwork bleeds over into the next week.

Meal prep or plan out meals

I love to meal prep for the week, but I am an extreme planner (if you couldn’t tell by this routine), so even just writing a list of possible foods to eat throughout the week eliminates the time you spend thinking about what to have for dinner every night.

Do laundry (at least your sheets, Please) and clean

A cluttered room/apartment will make you feel unmotivated and gross, but I also hate cleaning like everyone else. I combat this by listening to my favorite music (Ke$ha is the best music to listen to when you’re cleaning, I promise you) and letting the time fly by while I’m dancing and cleaning my whole apartment.

After having to grind for so long, you can finally be rewarded with some more Sunday relaxation to end the night! 

Self care

I love doing a face mask, showering, shaving, exfoliating and completing my (entirely too extensive) skincare routine before I get into the sheets that I just washed earlier. I feel squeaky clean and ready to conquer the week.

Light a candle and read or watch a movie

Turn off the lights, light your favorite fall Bath and Body Works candle, and go to town on your favorite show, movie or book, because you and I both know you won’t have this uninterrupted time once the new week starts.

Go to bed at a reasonable time

There is nothing worse than trying to catch up on sleep throughout your busy week, so make sure you go to sleep at a reasonable time that works best for your schedule. Never forget how important sleep is!

I know this seems like a really intensive Sunday routine (and I won’t deny that), but I promise you it is worth it to be prepared for your week rather than constantly struggling to catch up as it leaves you behind.