Sometimes we just need to pause and take a moment for ourselves. A Sunday reset is the perfect opportunity to do just that to start the week off right.
While you can do a Sunday reset cleaning routine or embrace self-care Sunday, it can get a bit overwhelming. You don’t have to do it all in one day! It’s okay if things aren’t perfect – perfection is outdated anyway.
You being relaxed and happy at the end of the day is what matters the most. Hopefully, my ideas for a Sunday reset routine can help you feel that way as you head off to bed.
Also, if you’re interested, check out tips on how to protect your energy.
Sunday reset routine
1. Lounge in bed
There’s something called a cortisol awakening response that happens in your body every morning. A bunch of the stress hormone, cortisol, is dumped into the bloodstream to wake you up and drive you to get things done throughout the day.
Researchers have found cortisol usually peaks about 30 to 45 minutes after waking up, then it drops off. This 2018 study gets into more detail on that.
So, by lounging in bed for that 30 to 45 minutes, you can allow the stress hormone to peak and come down instead of causing it to increase even more by rushing about.
2. Don’t pick up your phone right away
There is some evidence linking higher cortisol levels to social media use and phone addiction. That means that while you’re lounging in bed as your cortisol levels peak, it might be best to stay off your phone.
Using your phone an hour after you get up might just be better for a soft Sunday morning.
3. Journal
While you’re still in bed, you can write in your journal about the dreams you had, a to-do list, the plan for the week, your favorite affirmations or deep dive into thought provoking questions and self growth journal prompts.
I have a bunch of journal prompts if you want to explore more, especially for the start of the week and morning ones.
4. Doodle and draw
If journaling is too taxing, how about having fun with drawing doodles? You can even color in your favorite coloring books for adults or fun coloring pages you found online. Mandalas are some of my favorites to do, especially in the morning.
5. Pray
In those early quiet moments of the morning, you can also pray and have conversations with God or the universe. Give gratitude for your day or week, for the journey and growth you’ve experienced and for everything you have.
You can also ask for guidance, protection and assurance that you are on the right track.
6. Meditate
Meditation has a ton of positive benefits from decreasing anxiety, reducing depression and improving self image to lowering blood pressure, improving sleep and enhancing immunity.
It’s certainly a great activity to do early in the morning, especially on Sunday, before getting out of bed.
As part of your meditation practice, you can consider humming too. Humming has been shown to activate the rest and digest mode and reduce stress, according to this 2023 study.
7. Do gentle stretches
Before getting out of bed, it’s a great idea to do some gentle stretches. This helps to improve circulation so you start the day right.
8. Try yoga
Yoga is a great practice to include in your Sunday reset routine. It’s been shown to reduce cortisol levels, blood pressure and inflammation, improve sleep patterns and boost mood.
Follow along with this gentle yoga routine.
9. Explore Qi Gong and lymph drainage exercises
Another way to improve circulation is to do Qi Gong and lymphatic drainage exercises. These are great for getting fluid to flow throughout the body which helps to remove all the old cells and toxins.
I actually do this exercise almost every day. It’s a great daily practice to have. Use this video to start before progressing to more advanced ones.
10. Exercise
Ah yes! I can’t stress enough how good exercise is for your physical, mental and emotional health. Simply walking, dancing, swimming, hiking, and weight training can do so much for your life.
And, they’re great activities to include in your Sunday reset routine. Bonus points if you do some of them in nature, which will further make you feel grounded and more relaxed.
11. Nap if you can
Enjoy a good nap on Sunday. Napping has been shown to reduce stress and improve your overall health. It’s also great to allow your body to catch up on much needed rest. This is especially important if you are chronically sleep-deprived.
12. Phone a friend
The weekend is a great time to catch up with old friends and loved ones. Send them a quick text to say hi, give them a call and have a wonderful chat, or send them some funny memes you know they’d love.
13. Hang out with loved ones
Meet up with friends on the day and have brunch with them. Chat, laugh, share stories and enjoy each other’s company. Nothing beats good quality bonding time with those you love.
14. Listen to music
For solo Sundays or when you need to get a lot of work done, turn up the music and enjoy your favorite beats. You can go for uplifting, funky songs or try soothing sounds and spa music.
15. Have a dance party
While you’re at it, have a mini dance party in your living room. Dancing has been shown to be one of the best forms of exercise for boosting mood and reducing depression. So, why not have a mini dance battle?
Pop on some fuzzy socks too and slide across the room as you work on decluttering or doing mundane chores.
16. Meal prep
Meal prepping is by far one of the best Sunday routine activities you can do to plan for the week ahead. It ensures you have nutritious meals for the week so you don’t go ruining your diet and binging on junk food.
Salads are some of the easiest options to meal prep and take a lot less effort. Start small, look for recipes with few ingredients and develop your meal prepping and cooking discipline slowly.
If you really hate meal prepping, consider snack prepping and swap processed goodies with fruits and veggies you love. You can also try outsourcing your prep if it’s something you really hate doing.
And, don’t shame or judge yourself while prepping or outsourcing. Life is already hard enough! And, being kind to yourself is what matters during your Sunday reset.
17. Batch make if you can
If you are in the cooking mood, consider batch making recipes and freezing leftovers. You can freeze portions of chicken dinners, soups, and even mini pizzas.
Batch prepping meats, veggies and other ingredients to use in later recipes would also be a great use of your Sunday. If you can do this at least once or twice a month, you’re a rock star!
18. Try a digital detox
I mentioned how social media and phone use were linked to high cortisol levels. They are also not great for our overall mental health. So, staying away from them can have positive benefits on your mood, attention span, and more.
Scrolling boosts your dopamine levels too and, while that’s fun in the short term, it can really affect your dopamine baseline levels in the long term. So, you’ll always be chasing that next dopamine hit instead of allowing it to be released naturally.
Dopamine addiction is tough to deal with. Staying off your phone and away from media can certainly help to bring your baseline levels down to where fun activities can feel fun again.
19. Or do a digital declutter
If a digital detox is not in the cards, how about organizing your digital life? Are there pending emails you haven’t checked yet? Or do you need to delete a bunch of useless junk off your desktop or apps on your phone? How about arranging and organizing your photos?
Whatever the case might be, set a 1 hour timer and try to do as much digital detoxing as you can. Much like clearing regular clutter, you are sure to feel better when you’re done.
20. Declutter your space
Speaking of regular clutter, did you know women have higher cortisol levels and feel more stressed around clutter than men? The feeling of overwhelm doesn’t help either when you’re surrounded by things not in the right place.
If decluttering is something you want to do as part of your Sunday reset routine, try doing tiny tasks that take 1 to 2 minutes at a time. For instance, fold 5 things and pack them away. That’s it, then take a break.
Repeat for as much times as you want to. Or don’t repeat at all. Take the pressure off. Put some music on, set a timer and do a little bit at a time until you feel it’s enough.
21. Spa time
Skip cleaning, decluttering and meal prepping and try treating yourself to a spa day instead. Book massages, mani pedis and facials and come home feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Your skin will love you for it!
Of course, you can do at home treatments too. Oil your hair, pop a facemask on and paint your nails fun colors. You deserve all the pampering!
22. Everything shower
While pampering yourself, how about doing an everything shower? Massage your scalp, dry brush your skin, wash your hair, shave and wax, cleanse and moisturize, apply serums, use your gua sha and do everything you need to feel squeaky clean and happy.
Doing this is enough for a successful Sunday reset!
24. Set intentions for the week
Plan for the week ahead. Set your intentions, decide on your goals and make a list of things to do to achieve those goals. Take stock of the progress you’ve made so far and figure out if you need to adapt or adjust your strategies going forward.
Fill in your calendar too and set reminders for birthdays, important meetings, bill due dates and fun activities. Try to make your calendar balanced with work and fun.
25. Organize for the work week
Organize your work clothes for the upcoming week and plan out all your outfits. This eases the mental load during the week and is one less thing to worry about.
Prep your work bag too. Restock your snacks, makeup and books, charge your devices, wash and disinfect your water bottles and give your bag a nice spritz of lavender spray.
26. Do something creative
Being creative fuels the soul and doing something creative on your Sunday is a perfect way to spend the day. Opt for something easy like painting or doodling or try developing a harder skill like pottery, gardening, or baking.
Have fun with it and bring a friend along. You’ll certainly have a great time, laughing and bonding together.
27. Wind down early
Heading off to bed early is a great way to end the day. It helps you get your much needed hours of sleep and hopefully they are quality hours.
Avoid bright lights and using your phone right before going to bed as these can affect your melatonin production. You want warm, dim light and a soothing atmosphere to ease on into dreamland.
Hopefully, these ideas help you to create a Sunday reset routine that works for you. Ditch the hustle mode and enjoy a calming, relaxing day of fun, family and prep.
If you enjoyed these tips, be sure to check out my post on how to become that girl. There, you can find more questions for your self growth journey.
Happy Sunday and have a beautiful day.
