Written by: Janifer Wheeler, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Weekends often serve as a precious oasis of freedom before the relentless workweek begins. As women, we have mastered the art of balancing work, family, friends, and personal time. But what if I shared a secret? A thoughtfully crafted Sunday routine has the power to infuse your entire week with a renewed sense of tranquility.
Introducing our revolutionary Sunday Set-Up, meticulously curated in collaboration with The JOYFull BadAPP. In just a few hours, embark on a transformative journey towards achieving work-life balance and bidding farewell to the Sunday scaries. Get ready to embrace a week brimming with serenity and vitality.
Care to embark on this enlightening journey together? Let's dive right in!
Make a reservation
The first step is to allocate a focused window of time to plan out your week ahead. Your Multitasking mindset needs a break!
This will give you the necessary clarity to set specific goals, intentions, and priorities, which is crucial in order to boost productivity. Take the time to eliminate distractions that may hinder your focus and progress.
Creating a peaceful environment that allows for reflection is also important. This can help you gain perspective and align your thoughts and actions with your priorities. Remember, the ultimate goal is to streamline your efforts, making your path to success smoother.
With the right Sunday routine, you can achieve your goals and make meaningful progress toward the life you desire.
Bonus Tip: It can be hard to reserve time in an active household. Kids, pets, and partners don’t always have the patience to wait, but you can use a technique from my 4th-grade teacher toolbox: BBOD
When I was teaching and needed to work with students in small groups or 1:1, I would tell the other students that unless they were Bleeding, Barfing, or Otherwise Dying, this time was special, and I could not be interrupted. Not only did this allow me to work more effectively and without interruptions, but it also forced the children to handle simple problems on their own. It may take time to train your peeps, but it’s totally worth it!
Declutter some crap
The mess on your desk or in your home office can be overwhelming, which can affect your productivity. So, start by decluttering your space, throw away all the unnecessary things, and put everything in its designated place. A clean and organized space can help clear your mind, making productivity a breeze.
Bonus Tip: Take 5 minutes at the end of each workday to declutter your work area. This way, you start tomorrow with a clean slate!
Get to planning your week ahead
Start with a brain dump – make a list of everything you need to do over the next 7 days. From there, go back through the BRAIN DUMP and create a prioritized list of what you need to accomplish. I call these must-do’s. These are the tasks, actions, or events that MUST happen in order to keep moving forward.
Next, review your schedule so that meetings, deadlines, and important events are prioritized and you have a clear idea of what to expect for the week ahead.
You can use a planner or any digital tool to help make this easier. By doing so, you can manage your time better and avoid last-minute scrambling.
I use Sunsama to organize my tasks and meetings. I use my Must-Do list to create my daily plan. I like that it allows for weekly and daily planning with focused objectives, task completion time tracking, channels for organizing, and the fact it’s available on all my platforms. It also integrates with multiple productivity apps for an even more seamless experience. Free Trial with this link.
Bonus Tip: Add a Morning Meeting to your daily routine to help you stay on track. This 5-minute meeting is a great way to quickly review your upcoming tasks and set goals for the day. If you want to make the meeting longer, you can add time for movement, meditation, and journaling. I schedule my Morning Meeting for one hour at 7 am. This is also when I review Sunsama and plan my day.
It’ll help keep you focused and motivated throughout the day so that you can accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. By taking the time to plan out your days in alignment with your Sunday planning routine, you can make sure you are working efficiently and effectively – and get closer to achieving your goals!
Prep yourself
Meal planning & preparation
I know – this one is so much harder than it looks, but it’s worth it. Planning and preparing your meals for the rest of the week can save you time and money. You can try out new recipes, meal prep for snacks, and make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need for the week. This can also help you avoid impulsive decisions that could harm your health in the long run.
Bonus Tip: I keep an ongoing Meal Plan & Inventory in the Notes section of my phone. You could also use Evernote or another app. Basically, I have a list of stuff ON HAND: in the freezer, pantry items, and stuff that needs to be used asap. This way, it’s easier to make a grocery list for the upcoming week, and it ensures that we waste less food.
Using instacart also saves me time and money. Once I make my grocery list and meal plan, I order through the app and have it delivered to my house. Even with the delivery fees, it’s cheaper than my in-person impulse buying!
Clothes planning & preparation
What if I told you that planning your wardrobe on Sunday could help alleviate stress? By taking the time to pick out your clothes for the week, you’ll save yourself precious minutes each morning – minutes that can be used to start your day off right. Plus, by strategically selecting your outfits, you may find yourself feeling more confident and put-together throughout the day.
Bonus Tip: If you are like me and choose clothes on a whim, planning the night before may be better for you. I began implementing this process when my son was a baby. I remember the morning I got down to my last clean outfit after being puked on 3 times before 7:30 am, making me over an hour late for work and in jeans. I decided the mornings would go more smoothly if I picked out our clothes, packed the diaper bag, and made my lunch the night before!
Be self-aware to better integrate self-care
This is the most important part of building JOYFull Productivity Systems. You need to get familiar with yourself and make sure that you are choosing self-care and self-love practices that support you.
There’s a lot of buzz on Sunday Self-Care, and although I love the alliteration and idea, saving all your Self-Care for Sunday is not gonna fuel you for the rest of the week. Unless, of course, you are binge-watching Ted Lasso or Shrinking!
Take some time out for yourself, read a book, take a warm bath, meditate, or do any other activity that helps you relax and recharge every day. It’s essential to prioritize self-care, especially when you have a busy week ahead.
By the way, Self-Care is more than just relaxing and recharging. It also includes healthy habits such as exercise, eating nutritious foods, supplements, preventative medical care and mental health support.
Bonus Tip: Add self-care into your week – Do not reserve for sundays only!
Making a Sunday routine is an effective way to start the week off on the right foot, but don’t forget to include self-care into your regular weekly schedule as well! Time out for yourself throughout the week helps you stay energized and productive.
Go to bed a little earlier
Get a good night’s sleep. If you are a woman, this is a lifelong challenge. Kids keep you up, then you hit perimenopause, and hot flashes keep you up.
Going to bed a little earlier on Sunday can help you wake up refreshed and ready for the week, especially if you find yourself in a sleep deficit. Lack of sleep can lead to sluggishness and affect your cognitive abilities, so it’s essential to prioritize your sleep schedule.
Bonus Tip: If you are struggling with sleep interruptions or the quality of your sleep sucks, you should chat with your doctor. Lack of sleep is a huge contributor to poor productivity and is not joyfull in any capacity. You can also try vigorous exercise earlier in the day, avoiding caffeine or alcohol before bed (give up my wine, nope), or sleep meds.
Sleep tracking apps can provide detailed information on the quality & duration of your sleep and may help you spot patterns or issues. I use Pillow and Autosleep while wearing my Apple watch. I love that I can review my sleep data and share it with my doctor if needed.
Need help with your sunday routine?
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With our subscription, you’re in control of your schedule and can say goodbye to the anxiety that comes with feeling unprepared. Each Sunday, you will be empowered to take care of your needs, set your intentions, and plan for the week ahead with confidence.
Things the Sunday Set-Up Can Support
Weekly Planning: Clothes, Meals, Shopping, Events, Meetings, Project Deadlines, Brain Dumps and Must Do’s
Daily Planning with Morning Meetings
Integrating Automation: Favor, Instacart, Chewy, Amazon Subscriptions, Bill Pay, Pill Reminders, Sunsama, Jasper,
Self-Love Rituals: Journaling, Gratitude, Self-Care, Growth Mindset, Reflection
Quiet Activities for Introverts to Rest and Recharge
Sassy, BadAssery type shit, so you are also laughing and having fun!
Building an effective Sunday routine is crucial to set yourself up for a productive and stress-free week. By decluttering, planning, meal-prepping, prioritizing self-care, and getting enough rest, you can rejuvenate your mind and body. Remember, it’s not only about work but also about taking care of yourself, so you can achieve your goals with a clear mind and focus.
So, Download The Joyfull Badapp, find a quiet space, put on some relaxing music, light a candle, and start building your dream Sunday routine, one step at a time.
Janifer Wheeler, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Janifer Wheeler is a rule-breaking entrepreneur on fire. After 25 years of assisting schools and small businesses with process design, internal structure, education, and workplace culture, she founded The JOYFully BadAss Business App™ to help side hustlers & solopreneurs break away from society's BS so they can be more effective in their DO LESS BE MORE productivity mindset. Her international speaking gigs focus on advocacy, empowerment, AND joy ‒ making it easier for introverted entrepreneurs to succeed! JOYFull Productivity.
The JOYFull BadApp is available for FREE via download on the App Store, Google Play, and World Wide Web!
