Balancing college means studying 5+ hours a day and being in bed by 10pm Sun-Wed but forgetting you’re even a student and partying three days in a row every weekend. It’s a hectic lifestyle, but a bridge I’ve found that takes me from one side of the college experience to the other is a perfect Sunday reset. Sundays have always been my favorite day of the week but after seeing how they can help me maintain my two lifestyles, I love them all that much more. Without further ado, here are some steps of my reset that I think can be useful to you all:
cleaning
My dorm can look a bit unrecognizable after the weekend and that’s not an atmosphere I want when preparing for the week. Therefore, the first step of my Sunday reset is cranking on a good playlist and deep cleaning my whole room. Doing my laundry, wiping off tables and devices, fixing up my bed, vacuuming, Swiftering, and lighting a candle transforms my room and gets me in a productive mood that’ll last me the rest of the day. If you’re in need of some slow Sunday tunes, I’ve crafted the perfect playlist for your needs!
organize your week
The key to a good week is planning so you know what you’re about to take on. For me, this involves setting up my Google Calendar, looking at upcoming exams and assignments on my Notion, clearing out my emails, and preparing for any meetings or tasks for that week. An important part of this step is to not only plan your academic and work plans, but your social ones too! Having set plans to look forward to in the middle or end of the week such as a party that weekend or even a calm movie night gives you something to look forward to and work for.
Work out
It might seem insane to stack up a work out on top of an already jam packed Sunday but I find it essential in setting me up for a great week of workouts. I try to work out 5 days a week so getting those workouts done early in the week helps me stay motivated and less likely to slack off. It’s rough getting a work out in on a slow Sunday but its worth it for the feeling you’ll have afterwards!
Set yourself up
Sunday is the day that I do all my assignments for the next day PLUS extra work to balance out my heavy workload days. Knocking out smaller assignments or starting bigger assignments may seem like extra work that’s unappealing but it helps me out so much later in the week when the grunt of going to classes really takes its toll on you. Even if I don’t have time to do that much work, simply drafting out a study plan for an exam that week or mapping out how you’d space out work for a project does a lot to prepare you for the week. This is also a good time to do errands like grocery shopping or replenishing any necessities.
maintenance reset
After I’ve done all my cleaning and studying for the day, I reward myself with my favorite part of my reset routine! Fixing up my nails, doing any waxing, oiling my hair, and doing my 30 step everything shower gets me feeling fresh and confident for the upcoming week. Taking the time to put on a cool sheet mask and watch your favorite show as a treat for all the hard work you’ve done is the best way to close off your successful Sunday reset.