6 Ways To Start The Week Off Right Every Sunday

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links and I may receive a commission if you purchase through them.

Do you always get a serious case of the Monday Blues when Sunday comes along?

Well, Mondays don’t have to feel like a drag if you start the week off right!  Here are 6 things you should consider doing every Sunday so you’ll have a more productive and easygoing week ahead.

1. Set up your weekly schedule

One great way to help jump-start the week is to set a time to plan out your schedule.

If you work 5 days out of the week and you find that you never have time to get stuff done, scheduling the week’s events and your to-do list is absolutely crucial!

Doing this on a regular schedule will allow you to take back control of your week, help you accomplish more by putting your thoughts into action, and you’ll feel more motivated to be productive when you see how much you can get done.

We all only have the same number of hours during the week to get stuff done so make the most of it!

I generally like to schedule my week out on Sundays because it’s the beginning of a new week and I’m the most motivated to get stuff done.

I’ll write down all of the small goals I want to achieve during the week and tasks I need to accomplish, errands to run, appointments, social events, and downtime for personal development and self-care activities.  Once I know what needs to be done, I’ll slot them all in after estimating how long each event and task will take.

In order to keep you on track, I recommend that you get a planner that will help you schedule your week and get you closer to achieving your goals.  Check out my post on 15 kickass planners that can help you plan your week and help you stay productive.

2. Meal prep

Want to save money and time and also eat healthy meals during the week?  Meal prepping can help you do just that.

If you work a 9 to 5 desk job, it’s so easy to be overcome by laziness.  A day of eating out can easily turn into a constant habit of eating out every day at work if you don’t have the willpower and determination to prepare your lunches the night before.

I’ve been there, done that!

By meal planning though, you’ll be able to thoughtfully choose and plan your meals in advance without being constantly tempted to eat out.

Try to pick a day or 2 out of the week where you can have a few free hours to spend a chunk of your day cooking and get the week’s worth of meal prepping done and over with.  Then separate the portions into good quality BPA-free glass containers and just stick them all into the freezer.

Now you’re good to go for the rest of the week!  All you have to do is reheat the containers in the microwave whenever you’re ready for a meal.  No more kicking yourself for spending unnecessary money every day at work.

Meal Plans

But what about if you’re clueless about what to even cook, you just don’t have the patience to plan a whole week’s worth of food every single time you go grocery shopping, or you don’t like cooking in huge batches and heating up leftover food?

If the thought of having to plan your meals each week on top of everything else that’s happening in your life stresses you out, I recommend checking out Eat At Home Meal Plans if you’re looking to create cheap but healthy meals.

This meal plan membership includes access to ALL 4 of the following separate meal plans.  The great part is you can mix and match depending on your needs and tastes.

1. Traditional – This plan is family-friendly and includes a variety of meats and veggies, and the occasional meatless meal.

2. Whole Food Plant Based – This plan places more emphasis on natural foods including vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.  No meats, cheese, milk, fish, or eggs!

3. Slow Cooker/Instant Pot – This plan provides recipes that you can cook in your slow cooker and includes many Instant Pot recipes as well.  (Bonus: It includes 1 week of Slow Cooker Freezer meals that are ready to eat in an hour!)

4. No Flour, No Sugar – This plan includes easy-to-prepare meals made from veggies and protein from whole foods with no flour or artificial sugars added.

Other great advantages of the Eat At Home Meal Plans include:

• Meal plans provided at the beginning of the month so you’ll have time to plan and minimize shopping trips
• 15-minute meals for super busy nights
• Color-coded lists so you can swap out ingredients or whole meals when needed
• Printable recipes for easy cooking
• Printable menus which are perfect to hang on your fridge or near your calendar for easy viewing

These will help you save time so you don’t have to think long and hard on what to make at home and it’ll keep you focused on staying healthy. Definitely check it out!

3. Clean up

To feel more motivated and productive during the week, having a clean place that’s free of clutter and dirt is so important.

You know that feeling when you see a whole bunch of clothes and clutter and a huge pile of dirty dishes stacked right up to the edge of the sink?

It probably doesn’t make you feel good and the clutter might start making you feel anxious, extremely lazy, and even lethargic.  That’s not exactly how you want to start the week if you’re looking to get stuff done!

And plus, you know that when you come home at night from a hard day’s work that you’re not going to have as much motivation to want to start cleaning.  You’ll be most likely be tired and exhausted that cleaning will be the last thing on your mind.

If you just set a few hours on Sundays to tidy up, make your bed, and clean your house, it will help alleviate those feelings and you’ll, in turn, feel more productive and ready to seize the week!  So turn on some music or listen to your favorite audiobook (you can try Audible and get 1 FREE audiobook with my link here), and get cleaning!

4. Get a good night’s rest

Getting a good night’s rest on a Sunday night is so important to start the week off right because your body needs rest in order to function at its best.

If you don’t get enough sleep on Sunday night, you’ll probably have the crummiest Monday morning and the entire week will drag out longer than it needs to.  That sounds like a nightmare, doesn’t it?

It’s best to avoid turning into a zombie on Monday morning by winding down early on a Sunday night.  Check out my post on my tips on how to get better quality sleep.

5. Have a regular Sunday night routine

To feel ready and energized for the upcoming week, improve your chances of a good night’s sleep by having a regular Sunday night routine that you enjoy.  Set a few hours out of your schedule where you can relax and wind down a few hours before bedtime by doing something calming that you like.

A Sunday night routine is probably also especially useful if you’re a night owl with a totally different sleeping schedule on the weekends.  Your body takes time to get used to sleeping habit changes, so help increase your chances of having some good shut-eye by lighting up some candles, starting a bath, meditating, reading a book, or anything else that you think will help get yourself ready for bed!

6. Prepare Early

If you’re always short on time in the mornings, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of preparing everything you need for the next day the night before.  The last thing you want on a Monday morning is to be unprepared because you woke up late and now you have a million things to do before you leave.

Here are a few easy things you can do to better prepare yourself the night before:

• Pack your lunch and snacks
• Check the weather
• Pick out your outfit
• Place important things you can’t forget by the front door

Don’t forget to check out my other posts on goal setting and being more productive with your day:

• 25 New Year’s Goal Ideas For 2021 + Why Should You Set Goals This Year
• How To Slay Your Goals This Year & Get Sh*t Done
• How To Stay Motivated To Reach Your Goals
• 30 Productive Things To Do Before Bed Instead Of Watching Netflix
• 15 Kick-Ass Planners You Need To Get Organized
• 8 Things You Need To Do Before 9 AM For A More Productive Day
• How To Be More Productive When You Work From Home
• How To Stay Healthy And Sane When You Work At A Desk Job
• 10 Self-Improvement Books To Read In 2021

What are some things you like to do to start the week off right? Let me know in the comments!