36 Sunday Habits to Make Your Weekdays a Breeze [No Kidding!]

Lazy weekend? Not Anymore! Say goodbye to the Sunday scaries with These insanely cool Sunday Habits!

Sundays take off the weight of the entire week, no doubt. After back-to-back hustling, you’d want to take a nap on the weekend, binge-watch, or go shopping.

And this is where things start to go wrong. Suddenly you find your productivity hampered during the weekdays, feeling lethargic and down.

While treating yourself with unhealthy habits is entertaining once in a while, I wouldn’t recommend following them every Sunday.

I strongly believe in practicing “mindful relaxation” — to unwind meaningfully, without channelizing any negative or unproductive energy. This could mean learning a new hobby every Sunday or spending quality time with your loved ones.

Whether you adopt one habit or more, you will gradually find yourself becoming more self-aware, focused, present, and patient. And Sunday Scaries won’t be an issue any longer.

I’ve jotted down a couple of Sunday habits (actually way more than a couple🤭) that will help you begin your week on a fresh, positive note.

Include them in your routine as per your capacity — too many habits can also be stressful, after all!

36 Best Sunday Habits To Adopt For A Productive Week

1. Get down & Practice Gratitude

Practicing gratitude is a great Sunday habit for changing your perspective and being more thankful for every positive emotion in your life. The more you acknowledge the good, the stronger you manifest it.

Take out at least 15 minutes after waking up and before going to bed. Remember all those moments of the week that brought you happiness — you got a cab on time, had a rainy day but didn’t get drenched, met a deadline early, etc.

Maintain a gratitude journal and write down how grateful you are for such blessings, or say Sunday affirmations to make your Sundays brighter and more productive.

2. Prepare Outfits For The Upcoming Week

A much more meaningful activity than shopping, you can prepare your outfits in advance if you love to stay in style.

Being well-groomed can boost your confidence and self-esteem. Also, not everyone might have time to put together their OOTD the night before.

So, yeah. Two birds down in a single shot. Productive, indeed!

3. Clean Your Space

“The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment.” – Marie Kondo

I cannot stress enough the significance of cleaning every Sunday. It’s like a healing ritual that cleanses your soul. It can be something as small as organizing your WFH desk or purging your wardrobe.

Whatever the task, spend at least 30 minutes cleaning/organizing every Sunday. Bit by bit, you will be able to see the entire picture — a clean space begets a clean mind.

4. Organize Your Inbox

Wasted a solid 10 minutes on finding a particular mail this week? It’s time to finally zero in on the most procrastinated task — organizing your inbox.

Empty the spam folder and discard old emails that are no longer useful. Go through the unread ones, sort them into folders/labels, and unsubscribe unnecessary newsletters.

This will help you start your week without getting distracted by your inbox mess and clear out storage on your email account!

5. Go On A Digital Detox

Half an hour of screen time is enough for your Sundays. This includes checking your mail, managing your digital to-do list/planner, etc.

Besides that, avoid sitting in front of your devices, including Television. No scrolling through social media sites, or chatting unnecessarily with friends and goofing around.

Have screen-free meals, turn off your notifications, and dedicate a corner of your house to charging the phone (preferably the least visited area).

6. Track Your Finances

By tracking your finances, I don’t mean simply noting down your income, expenses, and savings.

NO.

It’s more about knowing how you spend money so you don’t go overboard. That is why you’ve got to track it regularly, preferably every Sunday, to understand and meet your financial objectives.

7. Work On Your Meal Plan

As much as I’m a fan of planning things, I’m not into outlining meal plans in advance. Reason: I avoid junk food naturally, and I’m pretty good at maintaining my diet without any assistance.

But I do track my meals, i.e., what I’ve eaten today, to keep the carbs in my mind.

Now this is totally up to you — do you want to plan your meals for the entire week, track them, or do both?

8. Go on a Solo Date

Take some time just for yourself and discover that inner peace. Head to your favorite café, treat yourself to a movie you’ve been dying to see or shop ’til you drop. You work hard, babe, so go out and enjoy the little things!

Here are some crazy simple solo date ideas for you to go crazy on!

9. Plant Something New

Spend your Sunday planting flowers or vegetables in your garden or balcony container garden! It’s rewarding to watch something grow from seed into something beautiful or edible – plus you get to enjoy fresh produce later on!

10. Random Acts of Kindness

Surprise someone with an act of kindness. Leave a sweet note for your neighbor, lend a hand to a stranger, or donate to a good cause. It’s all about spreading positivity and making someone’s day a little brighter.

11. Go on a long drive with your partner

Long drives are an amazing way to unwind and reconnect with your partner. Turn on your favorite tunes, grab some snacks, and hit the road – it might just be the most therapeutic drive you’ve ever taken.

Make it even more special by planning a surprise destination for a memorable Sunday experience.

12. Host a Game Night with Friends or Family

In the digital age, genuine connections matter more than ever. So, put down your devices and spend quality time with your loved ones over a laughter-filled game night.

Board games, card games, or even video games – just pick your favorites and create amazing memories together.

13. Declutter Your Devices

Had to include this point since it was today that I received a notification regarding my cloud storage limit. I’ve been telling myself to transfer old photos and videos to my laptop for more than a month now, but I keep forgetting it.

So, this is a reminder for both you and me to finally declutter the media in our devices, organize them and most importantly, maintain that weekly.

14. Explore New Places Nearby

If you’re someone who loves to travel, I’m pretty sure you’re already planning your next trip. Then be it to the countryside, a new bookstore, or a lesser-known, vintage cafe.

My only tip would be to embark on adventures that aren’t exhausting. You already have a pretty busy week lined up ahead. So, visit nearby places that are relaxing and not energy-draining.

15. Make A Plan

Let’s start with the meat and the potatoes — planning.

Channelizing the Amy within me, I’m a hardcore lover of organizing and keeping tabs. Be it my sleep cycle, water intake, or even periods!

I like to plan and track things because it directly affects my mindset. I stay more focused and clear when I’m aware of myself and how things are around me.

Plus, using a planner is pretty fun! (kind of addictive, too, won’t lie!)

You can begin with planning your week — deadlines to follow, upcoming events and important dates, reminders to set, etc. As you become habitual, you can use daily planners to plan and track each day in detail, including your mood!

16. Learn Something New

Taking up a hobby can eliminate the monotonous from your Sundays. You can learn something new or reconnect with an old hobby that you don’t get enough time for nowadays.

For example, you can take Zumba classes if you love to rock-n-roll. Or go hiking into Mother Nature and blow off the steam!

17. Restock Groceries

On days when the shopping freak within you is dying to spend some bucks, get a grocery restock. It’s much, much, much better than giving in to unhealthy spending habits.

Oh, and did I mention you also cross off an important chore from the to-do list? No need to make hurried trips to convenience stores at the eleventh hour!

18. Practice Self-Care

The meaning of self-care differs from person to person.

Some things come naturally to us — planning in my case. While for other things, we have to push and constantly remind ourselves.

So I wouldn’t tell you to do a particular thing as a self-care activity. You know yourself better than I do — you know where to push yourself.

Just ensure you’re eating right, drinking plenty of solids, and spending quality time with your loved ones and yourself. The rest comes after.

19. Indulge in a DIY Spa Session

Who needs an expensive spa day when you can create your own pampering experience right at home? Put on a facemask, draw a bubble bath, light some calming candles, and wrap yourself in a cozy robe. It’s your very own luxurious spa – no need to leave the house.

20. Cook A Healthy Meal

Enough with the takeouts and home deliveries. I know you want to have a chill Sunday, but that doesn’t have to come at the expense of your health.

Rather, prepare a nutritious meal at home. It can be either breakfast, lunch, or dinner, whatever suits you. Especially if you’re living alone — a lively kitchen is the spirit of any home, after all.

And if you’re living with a roommate or a partner, turn them into chefs, too!

21. Read A Book

Binge-watching can be a toxic timepass if you’re hooked like crazy, thus hampering your sleep cycle and eating more junk.

And this is coming from an ex-binge-watcher. So, you have my word on it when I say reading a book can change your life for good.

You don’t have to sit down and read continuously for hours. Take breaks in between. But do force yourself to resume and you will eventually find your way into the magical world of literature.

22. Join A Book Club

Another good thing about starting reading? You can join a book club!

Meet more people (online or offline) that are currently reading the same book and share your experience. You get to explore more reading recommendations, engage with people meaningfully, and understand your book from a different perspective.

23. Go For A Morning Walk

What’s more refreshing than starting your day by reconnecting with nature?

Morning walks are excellent stressbusters. Not only do they strengthen your physical health, but they also help improve your mental well-being. Plus, good cardio wakes you up completely — so you won’t be trapped within the procrastination bubble.

You can also rope in a neighbor to join you for morning walks or a friend/relative (if they stay nearby).

24. It’s Laundry Time!

Another Sunday habit you should adopt immediately is to wash, sort, and organize your laundry.

You’ve got only one day a week for yourself (pretty sure most of us have plans lined up for Saturdays). So why not prioritize the essentials?

Here is a quick laundry to-do list for you:

Sort out light and dark-colored laundry
Wash, iron, and fold your clothes
Wash your linens (bed + bath)
Drop your rug and layers for dry cleaning
Clean your washer and dryer
Declutter your laundry space and clean it
Stitch and mend clothes

25. Spend Time With Your Loved Ones

Often we tend to forget or blur out people that matter thanks to the hectic hustle-bustle of our lives.

But that’s why God made Sundays!

Making out time for your parents, partners, friends and kids is the best antidote to work stress and inner turmoils. And if they live far away, there’s always Facetime! (Put that phone to some good use, now.)

26. Journal

I’ve talked above about connecting with nature and your loved ones. But what about connecting with yourself?

For me, journaling has been no less than therapy. At times when I felt like a stranger to myself, writing my thoughts down in their raw form helped me understand my state of mind — what I’m feeling and why.

I believe most of us have this self-healing ability — we can destress and calm down only if we pay attention to ourselves. And journaling has been by far the most surprisingly successful tool to unravel me.

27. Run Errands

More of a necessity than a habit, running your errands on Sundays can prevent you from falling into a productivity slump.

You can prepare a list of all your tasks in the morning or a day before and complete them throughout the day. Doctor appointments, bank work, vehicle care, etc., come under this.

28. Make A To-Do List For Monday!

Yeah, it’s Sunday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be productive! Get a head start on your week by making a to-do list for Monday and the rest of the week. Get organized, clear your mind, and make your upcoming days stress-free.

29. Go To Bed Early

You can also develop a Sunday habit of going to bed early. Irrespective of the day.

The weekend vibe might compel you to stay up late. But remember, consistency is the key. Just hit the lights at around 8 or 9 PM without being tempted by your phone and go to sleep.

30. Get Creative with DIY Projects

Got some old clothes lying around? Turn them into something new by using fabric dyeing techniques like tie-dyeing! Or, if you prefer woodworking projects instead of sewing projects, then build something out of scrap wood like shelves or planter boxes – just be sure to wear safety goggles when working with power tools!

31. Visit a Local Farmers Market

Spend your Sunday exploring your local farmers market to pick up some fresh produce and other goodies. Not only will you find delicious food, but you’ll also have the opportunity to meet local producers and learn about their products.

32. Read or Work Outside (maybe in a Cafe)

Ditch the boring office or stuffy living room and take your work or reading outside. Find a cute café or a cozy spot in the park and feel the breeze while you get stuff done and boost your mood.

33. Start a healthy discussion with your partner and children for their future

Set aside time each Sunday to have a heartfelt conversation with your partner and children about their future plans, goals, and dreams. Foster open communication, and provide guidance and support when needed.

This will strengthen your family’s bond and motivate everyone to stay focused. Just remember, keep the discussion healthy and peaceful!

34. Zen Meditation

Make Sundays all about creating a tranquil space, lighting aromatic candles, and letting your mind wander into the blissful world of Zen meditation.

By practicing meditation, you’ll discover the power to reduce stress, think clearly, and become more self-aware. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to train your mind to stay focused and present.

35. Master a New Recipe

Learning to cook something new can be a rewarding and therapeutic experience. Plus, it’s always fun to enjoy a homecooked meal that you’ve put love and effort into creating.

Set aside some time on Sundays to learn and experiment in the kitchen – your taste buds and soul will thank you!

36. Get Your Hands Dirty and Connect with Nature

Gardening isn’t just therapeutic, it’s an opportunity to dive into the earth and embrace the beauty of the natural world. Plan, plant, and nurture a stunning garden that will bring you joy all week long.

Not only will you reap physical and mental health benefits, but you’ll also add a touch of beauty to your surroundings.

Bottom Line on productive Sunday habits

If you want to steer clear of Monday blues, better get your Sundays on track! You don’t have to bulldoze your way through the weekend like you do on the work days. But being low-key productive isn’t bad, either.

I get it. Sometimes we do need a day off from everything — just be a couch potato, binge-watch something, and forget about the world. And it’s totally fine to do that unless it becomes a weekly routine.

That’s why adopting meaningful Sunday habits is crucial. Your entire day doesn’t have to be lined up with numerous tasks. It can be something as simple as reading a book for an hour.

But initiate somewhere. Even if it means taking baby steps. And you’ll see the process working miracles soon!