5 Ways to FIX Sundays

In college, I would wake up on Sunday mornings and think, “Oh noooo! The beautiful, blissful weekend is gone! UGH!” Dreading the homework I had been putting off since Friday, the mound of laundry needing to be washed, the bedroom that was aching to be cleaned, and all of the emails awaiting me in my inbox, I would lay in bed a little longer, delaying the things I needed to do and eventually mosey on down to Bagel King around 11 a.m. (making it appropriate for me to order a buffalo chicken sandwich on a bagel thus, combining breakfast and lunch…brilliant broke college girl move).

With the final bite of my money-savvy meal, and last swig of my diet raspberry iced tea, the dread set in further. There was really nothing left to delay me…on to the boring stuff. BLAH. And the feeling always loomed, and worsened as the sun set. Monday…is…coming. This Sunday feeling continued in grad school, particularly with the addition of the four-floor walk up apartment and the block and a half that needed to be walked before I made it to the laundromat, and 45 minute commute that came on Monday morning.

As I sit in limbo now between the completion of grad school and the beginning of my first big girl job, I am taking some time to think about why Sundays are a bummer, and more so, why I allow my Sundays to be a bummer. Mostly because I like what I do during the week, the good truly outweighs the bad, and the only truly annoying part about Monday is waking up early. Come to think of it, I am just not a morning person…so I don’t like waking up before 10 a.m. on any day of the week.

Don’t get me wrong, spending time with friends and family and being free of commuting, appointments, meetings, classes, and responsibilities on the weekend is fantastic – but the reality is that the weekend is two days long, and Monday is inevitably coming. By wasting away Sunday feeling BLAH, we’re wasting an entire day of weekend by allowing ourselves to sink into this feeling.

According to a some fairly legitimate online survey results (that respondents probably took during their Wednesday afternoon web-surfing-during-work break) SUNDAY BLUES ARE A REAL THING! So… if this isn’t just me, and it truly is BLAH, I have brainstormed some things for us to try to alleviate the Sunday blues, and restore the weekend happiness to its full capacity.

1. Don’t leave all of your laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, and 400 pages of reading, three essays, and group project all for Sunday at 6 p.m. Maybe Wednesday nights can be laundry night while you’re binging on some Netflix as a hump day break. And perhaps the $8.95 Fresh Direct delivery fee really isn’t that terrible if it saves your Sunday. While this may be a stretch…maybe doing some homework…earlier. Baby steps, I know, baby steps.

2. Make a fun Sunday ritual with your friends or family. Maybe you and your roomies (parents count as roomies, too!) always miss the Bachelorette because you’re in class, at meetings or hitting the gym. Create a standing watch party every Sunday, and maybe you get together beforehand and whip up a group dinner (or order some sushi!).

3. Quit electronic communication for the day. Take Sunday to shut off and shut down your phone, Facebook, Insta, Twitter, Tinder…all of it, and really enjoy the actual moments you have left of the weekend. By pre-screening the emails in your inbox that you’re not actually going to answer until Monday, scrolling through all the pictures from Friday and Saturday, and texting your friends instead of going on a hike together, grabbing some fro-yo or catching up over coffee – you’re detracting from SUNDAY itself. Unless it’s a call to grams, a text to confirm your plans for the day or an urgent email that cannot wait – turn it off, and put it away.

4. Try (or commit) to something NEW! Give Sundays a new purpose. Dedicate your Sunday to discovering, trying, or doing something completely new. Maybe you really want to do yoga but can’t seem to find the time during the week. Make Sunday a yoga day. Perhaps your sorority chapter could use some sweet snacks for the week. Spend your Sunday trying new baking recipes every week. Take a Sunday yoga class at a new studio, or maybe train for a 5K (or a half marathon!).

5. Relax. No, really. Just take a breath and relax. For some reason, getting a pedicure makes me feel fantastic – it clears my mind, makes my feet feel great, and I get that “look good, feel good” feeling. Maybe it is playing with your dog, or laying by the pool, or knitting. Whatever it is, try it, do it.

You know you best – be intentional – you are in control.