Monday’s not exactly every one’s favorite day. There goes your fun and relaxing weekend, easily replaced with a load of to-do’s and deadlines to meet. During the summer months, Mondays are even harder to anticipate, as weekends are usually spent having fun and being on a mini-vacations.
As much as you may love your job, switching from bathing suit to more or less formal workwear can leave you in sheer professional despair. Not to mention struggling with chronic procrastination and playing catch-up, as you bury your head deep into a pint of sea salt caramel ice cream. According to Dr. Richard Citrin, PhD and author of “The Resilience Advantage”, this also results in us being disorganized, stressed and un-prepared for the week. Hence the Sunday night blues so many of us experience, over and over again!
Here are 4 hacks you can use on Sundays to boost your productivity all week, minus the Sunday night blues and sleepless nights:
Do Something that Really Fulfills You
Too many of us fill us our week-ends with chores and tasks we couldn’t get to during the week. I know, as a working mom, I leave cleaning the house and tackling the never-ending laundry to the weekend. The result? By Sunday night, I’m still folding laundry, dreading Monday, and drowning all my sorrows in tubs of ice cream topped with whipped cream.
Instead, think about outsourcing your chores and tasks, and instead reserving some serious Sunday space for stuff you really enjoy. You know, the stuff that fulfills you and makes you feel like, despite all the laundry in the world, life is good! It may be reading a good book, going for a walk, or just hanging out with family. Whatever it is that fills your soul, do that, minus the guilt and the stress!
Get more inspired by having FUN!
Remember the days when Sundays were spent playing board games or enjoying a good ol’ soccer or volley ball game on the beach? According to a study published by the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, the people who engage in more creative activities do better at work.
Whether you just run around the room with the kids, or pull out the Scrabble board, having more fun on Sunday helps you be more inspired on Monday. Who knew having fun could actually get you a raise or promotion?
Take some time to get organized!
I know what you may be thinking: “Who wants to organize anything on Sunday?” Yet, taking an hour or less to actually plan your week can have huge rewards! It doesn’t have to be a straining task either.
You can easily pull your calendar as you’re relaxing in your backyard, or watching the kids swim in the pool. Do a quick calendar check, draft a to-do list for your week, or email yourself a reminder. Not only will you set yourself for a more productive week, but you will also mentally prepare yourself to tackle your to-do’s.
Other things you can do is make time to quickly meal prep, or lay your clothes out for the next day, or even fold that last load of laundry. The point is to take an hour or two to set yourself ahead for the coming week, while reserving the bulk of your time for self-care and good ol’ fun and relaxation.
Keep it healthy!
Ok, this is the most difficult part for me! I love my food, and weekends are usually my time to indulge. Except spoiling your stomach on Sundays can result in stressful and low-energy Mondays, which doesn’t exactly help with the whole productivity thing!
Instead of over-indulging on Sundays, save the rich and calorie-filled meals for Fridays and Saturdays. On Sundays, make an effort to eat balanced meals. Don’t forget to load up on veggies and fruits too.
My question is: “Can I still have my mimosa at brunch?” Yes, but only if you can drink enough water so as not to feel all sluggish come Monday.
What other hacks would you add to this list?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
