Let’s face it, by Friday, most parents feel like they’ve just had a 12 day week. On Saturday, I relax… I don’t set an alarm, I spend time with my family and let the routine fade. By Monday, I make sure I feel good with Sunday habits for success.
Now, Sunday is my day to prepare for a productive week. While you can still relax, it’s well worth doing you future self a favour and setting yourself up for the week ahead. There is not a single part of me that misses rushing about on Monday mornings, desperately trying to claw our lives together! After writing 5 Ways To Be More Organised: Hacks For The Seemingly Incurably Disorganised (linked) I realised that I had some useful tips to share. They have developed out of necessity: I survived my first few years as a mum, but with a few simple changes, I learned to thrive.
Here are 11 Sunday Habits For Success
1. fresh sheets
Strip all the beds in the house. There is nothing like ending the week with a bath and climbing into clean sheets. That soft cotton feeling is like sniffing a newborn’s head to me: utter bliss.
2. Attack the laundry
We’re a household of five, so I do two loads of laundry every day… yet somehow that’s never enough?! I honestly have no idea where it comes from. At this point I’m convinced it’s mitosis! But there it is, an overflowing laundry basket with the lid perched precariously on top.
I spend Sunday blitzing it and make sure it’s empty by Monday morning. My kids have chores, so while I sort, wash and fold the laundry, it’s my 11 year old’s job to get it into the tumble drier and take the folded piles to the bedrooms. He gets it right 80% of the time and usually doesn’t moan, which is good enough for me!
*Tip, walk past the empty basket repeatedly, cup of tea in hand, gaze at it and sigh lovingly. I am yet to see any evidence to support manifestation personally, but I figure there’s no harm in trying. Let your empty laundry basket know you appreciate it… if nothing else, you’ll get your steps in on your Fitbit.
3. Clear out the REFRIGERATOR
Okay, so it’s not the most exciting task, but there’s several reasons for doing it. Firstly, tidy space makes for a tidy mind. Secondly, you can take inventory of what you have left in there that isn’t past it’s best before date and is still usable. Thirdly, it’s very little effort to put in if you keep on top of it… I really hate a smelly fridge.
4. meal plan
Now you know what’s in your fridge, you can create a meal plan for the week with that in mind. Have a dig about in your freezer and cupboards too…it’s a quick step but reduces waste and saves money. I always create a meal plan for one week and use it four times so I only have to do this step one Sunday a month. Make sure you create a shopping list from the meal plan and pop anything else you need on a separate list, so you aren’t buying tampons 4 weeks of the month!
5. Go grocery shopping
If possible, go alone. Not because you don’t enjoy time with your children, or because you’ll be more productive alone. No, go alone because in reality, walking around the supermarket with a podcast in your ear is the closest to a spa break most mothers get. It’s bliss.
6. plan your week
Whether you have your calendar in your phone, on your wall or in a diary in your handbag, now is the time to look over it. Make sure you have taken a look on the school’s calendar online to pop anything you need to remember in there (no kid wants to be the one in uniform on fancy dress day – but hands up if you’ve been that mum dashing home for an outfit!)
It’s also a good idea to go over the week with your partner, if you have one. My sister-in-law has her iphone calendar linked with her husband’s, which is a great idea if you both use it!
7. Check your banking
There’s few things more essential than knowing where your money is. Make sure your budget is sorted, there’s money where there needs to be and all payments are set up as automated.
I changed to a bank which not only has an app but allows you to have ‘pots’ within your account – allowing you to keep your funds separate. Having pots set up for for ‘food’, ‘fuel’, ‘christmas’ etc has been a game changer!
If you don’t manage your money and bills online, now is the perfect time to file any paperwork such as statements. It’s also a good idea to have any post you’re sending out, such as birthday cards or cheques, stamped and ready to post by the front door.
8. pack the change bag and count uniforms
Now, one term of being a school-mum was enough to convince me to buy five sets of uniform. Often it’s washed the same day they’ve worn it, but the chances of it managing to be where it needs to be by 7am the next day are slim.
Having five uniforms folded in parcels removes a huge amount of stress from my week! Fold the whole outfit including socks and pants into a small pile, then put it inside the jumper, folding that around all of it to create a parcel. It’s definitely one of my favourite Sunday habits for success.
I also pack the change bag even if we don’t have anything in the diary. Getting a text saying we need to be somewhere any having to wrangle two small children while getting myself ready, them ready and everything we could potentially need for the day is a nightmare. I would much rather be prepared for a grab-and-go situation!
9. Cook up a jar of easy pasta sauce
More often than not, we have at least one of those evenings a week. You know the ones… everybody is tired and grumpy, we’re home later than planned after being stuck in traffic and nobody really fancies cooking – least of all me! Shoving some pasta on the stove and reaching for something healthy I made earlier has had me thanking my past self on many an occasion!
*Tip, when rustling up a basic pasta sauce, start by popping some veggies left in the fridge draw into a blender. Sauté before adding the other ingredients. The kids won’t notice and it takes the guilt of a cosy one-bowl meal.
10. prepare a healthy breakfast
If you can’t face the day without a bowl of Coco Pops then feel free to skip this step. But I will say, having a big jar (linked) of homemade granola on the side, or overnight oats waiting for me in my freshly cleaned fridge, feels great.
It takes a little extra effort, but knowing I’m putting some goodness into my body always helps me put my best foot forward. Give me yogurt, berries, granola and honey any day!
11. Get an early night
We know we should do it, but it cuts into that precious Netflix and chill time (calm down, I’m married with kids… I literally mean watching Netflix and chilling!)
Getting an early night is the biggest of the Sunday habits for success. Waking up before your alarm on Monday and enjoying the quiet before the house explodes with noise is lovely.
Who doesn’t want to start their day with a coffee in peace?! So aim for 10pm, and thank yourself for it tomorrow.
Organisation is just a way of showing yourself compassion, and removing as much stress from your life as possible.
Those are the changes I have made that have me looking forward to a new week, as opposed to dreading Mondays. I don’t do all of these, all of the time. I wish I did – life would be much easier!
I do notice that when I do make effort with Sunday habits for success, I feel considerably healthier overall. I definitely enjoy motherhood considerably more when we aren’t rushing around!
I would love to hear if you try these, or what you do on Sunday to set yourself up for the week.
Love, Helen
Disclosure.
Some items may be gifted and links within this post may be affiliate links. This means that if you purchase through the links, I earn a small commission though this is at no expense to you. As always, I appreciate your support and would never recommend a product we have not tried, tested and loved.
Leave a Reply