How To: Prepare for a Productive and Stress-Free Week

Waking up on Sunday morning you feel relaxed, refreshed, and ready to take on the day! There is no need to tackle anything important—at least not until after a cup of coffee. Don’t you wish every day of the week could feel like Sunday morning? Here are six things to do every Sunday to make even the weekdays ahead relaxing ones.

1. Plan Your Meals

Whether you’re cooking for one or for five, planning meals for the week on Sunday can save you a lot of hassle later on. Knowing what’s on the menu in advance helps you buy the right amount at the grocery store and protects against last-minute peanut butter sandwich meals.

Here is how I plan my meals: I take a blank sheet of paper and write out Monday through Sunday with a B, L, and D under each, sometime followed by the initial of everyone I need to plan for.

Then, I start planning. This is more of an art then a science (and it helps to be near the fridge during the planning process). First, think about everything in your kitchen that needs to be used up and start planning meals around that. While there are only two mouths to feed in my house, I usually cook big dinners with plenty of leftovers to eat for lunch the next day. Once you’ve finished jotting down you meals (Pinterest is a godsend for the panning process) take a highlighter and mark the ingredients you’ll need to pick up at the grocery store. You’ll find that planning a week’s worth of meals on Sunday not only save time later on, but keeps from wasting food as well since everything is planned and accounted for.

2. Tidy-Up

A clean house is the key to a clear mind. It is impossible to relax if you’re looking at a pile of dirty dishes or have coats and shoes covering the floor. Even if you don’t have time to vacuum the rug or dust the dresser, spending 30 minutes putting away the clutter scattered around your home will make it easier to get ready for work Monday morning and give you peace of mind going to bed on Sunday night.

3. Do the Laundry

With so many demands on our lives during the week, keeping up with the laundry seems impossible. I used to do a load of laundry every time the basket was full, but I then realized I was doing it nearly every day. Waiting until the weekend allows you to better sort you clothes and ensures you favorite blouse will be ready for the important meeting you have coming up in the week ahead.

4. Develop a Workout Plan

Exercising regularly can seem daunting; having a plan can change that. Whether it’s yoga, biking, barre, running, or going for a walk on your lunch break, keeping an active lifestyle is important for your physical and mental health. Planning your workouts in advance keeps exercise from becoming a hassle. If you have a big meeting early Tuesday morning, working out before work that day may not be the best idea. How do I fit it in? I often run home from work instead of taking the metro to save time, combining my workout with my commute! This takes lots of careful planning as I have to bring all my clothing and gear with me in the morning. I pack my bag the night before and also keep some extra clothes in my office just in case I forget something. That may be how I do it, but there are a million different ways to fit in your workout. No matter what you do or how often you do it, planning your workouts on Sunday helps you stick to a schedule and makes the task less daunting.

5. Outline Your Errands

Going to the grocery store in the middle of the week or picking up the dry cleaning after work can waste your entire day. When you finally do get home late at night after running weekday errands, you may find that your trip to the grocery store was a pointless one because by now it’s so late and you’re so hungry that you’ve decided to make a bowl of popcorn for dinner instead of the meal you had planned. To make the most of those limited hours outside your 9-to-5, plan your weekly errands in advance. Need to go grocery shopping for a dinner party you’re hosting Friday night? Well then, on Wednesday, plan to make a big dinner with leftovers to cover you on Thursday, so that when you get home from the store on Thursday night, you already have a meal that just needs some heating up.

6. Indulge in Some You Time

Whatever relaxes your mind—whether it be watching TV, reading a magazine, or solving a puzzle—a little relaxation goes a long way. Make sure to allow some time for you on Sunday night to help keep you sane and productive throughout the week. So make a cup of tea, put on some cozy slippers, and light a candle. Now that you’ve planned for week ahead, it’s time to kick back and relax.