Self-Care Sunday: Take Care Of Yourself
There is a saying that goes, “A Sunday Well Spent Brings a Week of Content” and this is something we really believe to be true. However, this does not mean that every Sunday you must be out there living life lavishly. Rather, we see ‘well spent’ to be about the little things, the small positive acts of self care that you stack up over the course of the day to prepare your mind, body and soul for the week ahead.
We work hard during the week and so our weekends are precious. Even if we look back at old religious texts, Sunday has always been seen as a day of rest, the sacred day of the week. Religious beliefs aside, the idea of having Sundays as a day where we prioritise our self-care and take time away from our busy schedules / demands in order to prioritise ourselves is something that we personally cannot get enough of!
Whether you are already bossing the Sunday Self-Care traditions or, if reading this you are wondering how to make space to show up for yourself, we have got some of our favourite Sunday Self-Care traditions below.
Say no to things that you genuinely do not want to do
What better way to honour your self-care than to implement some boundaries. Say ‘no’ to anything that comes up which interferes with your current goals or does not fill you up with joy. When we stand by our boundaries and stay true to ourselves, that sends a message to our subconscious that we are worthy. People pleasing can be incredibly damaging to our underlying self-worth so get working on implementing your boundaries and keep this day as a day for you and the things you love.
Yoga and Meditation
Meditation is a powerful tool that not only helps us to slow down and reconnect to the present moment but can also help bridge the gap between our mind and body connection. The use of breath-work and stillness to quieten the mind for even just 10 minutes can help ease our anxieties, gain clarity and perspective, take our nervous system out of fight or flight and drop into our rest and digest response, slow down our reactivity so we can respond to situations outside of our control better and connect us to our higher selves. Take some time out for you this Sunday, coming back to yourself and your breath. If sitting in stillness is not for you, then why not try a yoga class or a yoga retreat? Yoga is movement meditation that will help you to ease tension and sweat toxins out of your body.
Self-Reflection and Intention Setting
There is nothing better than carving out time during Sunday to journal. On a sunny day getting out of the house, sitting outside by yourself at a coffee shop and putting pen to paper. If the weather is not on your side, try getting cosy on the sofa with candles burning it is just as gorgeous! We often hear people saying “the weeks just mould into one”, which is a scary thought. Through self-reflection we can step away, take stock and show gratitude for what we have experienced, tune into our bodies and note how we feel in the present moment and reflect with compassion on times where we maybe did not show up as our best selves.
We have some amazing self-reflection prompts below:
• What were the standout moments?
• What challenges am I proud to have overcome?
• What are the 10 things I am most grateful for?
• What limiting beliefs held me back? How can I reframe these?
As well as carving out time to reflect, Sundays give us an amazing opportunity to also set some intentions for the week ahead. To actually sit and think about how we want this week to turn out for us, how we want to feel and to get proactive about living a life that we love and that feels aligned with our purpose rather than be carried off into the next week on auto-pilot.
Intention setting prompts for the week ahead:
• What is my intention of the week?
• What has lit me up lately? How can I bring this into the week ahead?
• What is an affirmation that will help me this week?
• What am I most excited about in the week coming up?
Get outside into nature
When we live in cities so much of our time can end up being spent indoors, away from the wonders of nature. Getting outside on a Sunday is a beautiful act of self-care that can ground you back into the connectedness of the world we live in, reduce stress, increase the quality of the air breathed in, help increase our step count and reduce feelings of stress. Whether it’s a 20 minute walk in your local park with a coffee and a bestie, a 5k run along a river or a big hike, it all counts!
Pamper yourself
As much as we would like to, we cannot all go to the spa every week (we wish!) but, we can create a spa-esque atmosphere right in our homes. Put on some tranquil music, light all your candles and get your bathrobe on. Indulge yourself in a thorough skincare routine, a self-mani/pedi, running a bubble bath and if you really want to go all out, call in an at-home massage therapist!
Take a social media detox
It is never a bad idea to switch off from social media every now and then. Whether it is just for an hour before bed, or all day Sunday - whatever works for you! Taking time away from scrolling to do something mindful such as: cooking or reading a book will help us to calm down the mind and allows us to enjoy a precious moment of mindfulness that can set us up for the week ahead and for a better night’s sleep!
Tidy Up!
Okay, a pretty boring one we know, but hear us out! Entering the week with a clean living space can energetically set the tone for everything else that happens in the beginning half of the week. With most of us still working from home in this new post-pandemic era we are in a tidy living space has never been a greater gift of self care.
Whether it’s changing your sheets, doing the pile of laundry that’s sitting in the hamper or putting away the dishes from dinner - get it done and come Monday, when you’ve slept like a baby and are working in a state of flow without mess staring you in the face, you will be grateful!
Prioritise Sleep
Last but definitely not least on our favourite Sunday self-care rituals is of course, prioritising sleep. Nothing can make Monday feel even more like a Monday than a rubbish night’s sleep. In order for us to start the week feeling empowered and energised we need rest.
Making sure our bed is a haven with fresh sheets, pillow spray, a cool temperature and no screens can help us drift off into a perfect night’s sleep.
Even try going to bed half an hour earlier than you do normally and reading a book to help slow down our mind and reduce the cortisol running around our body. Dimming the lights throughout the evening can also aid the brain’s production of melatonin as well as taking supplements such as magnesium.
Monday fear can be a thing and lead us to staying up way past our bed time, fight the resistance and get yourself into bed, Monday will come as it always does and at least this time you’ll feel rested!