If the days of the week have started to blur, it may be time to reclaim those sweet Sunday vibes. Mapping out the perfect plan of things to do on Sunday can help to bring a celebratory structure to your weekend and while we should be trying to do this every day, somehow it seems so much better and easier to achieve it on a Sunday.
We all know Sunday’s are synonymous with lingering in personal luxury, taking things super easy and practicing all those tiny kindnesses to the self. Here’s how we are planning to spend the perfect Sunday at home or out and about…
Read in Bed
Sunday’s aren’t about leaping out of bed and diving right into business, running around to a thousand places, or tackling everything on your to-do list. These are the mornings to linger, lounge and take things slow - this is the joy of being an adult. If it’s a bright day, open your curtains and let the light stream in across your bed as you pick up a book.
Cozy beneath the covers, soft sunlight on your face, and enchanted by the pages of your latest book club find in your hands – this is one of the best things you can do to start the day.
Need help choosing a book? Here are our recommendations:
- The Best Books to Tackle Under Lockdown
- Books You Must Read in Your Thirties
- 8 Must Read Black Authors
- 4 Books To Pick Up Now by Inspiring Females
Have a Beautiful Brunch
When hunger calls, pad softly down to the kitchen and whip up a glorious Sunday brunch. Smashed avocado, eggs and spinach on sourdough or a mango fresh fruit salad, a baked oatmeal with cinnamon apples or perhaps smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels scattered with berry bright capers and served with a frothy coffee or even mimosa morning cocktails.
See, you don't need your favorite coffee shop or farmers' market, you can turn your home into a fresh and gourmet haven. If your pantry is bare you can also check out our local favorite restaurant and see if they have a brunch or lazy breakfast delivery list too.
Go for Gentle Yoga
If you don’t want to let your exercise get away from you on the weekends, then pick a gentle yoga practice. Yin yoga or anything that invites soft stretching and positive flow is the perfect Sunday afternoon practice. Yin especially is glorious on the weekend and we spend a lot of our week pushing the yang element, meaning that a little yin woven in can bring us back to balance.
Sort Something Small
Ok, we relent. We know that for some people it's truly difficult to spend the whole day relaxing and that maybe one of your fun things is sorting through your inbox. If you are going to commit some Sunday time to making sure your Monday morning isn't a nightmare then go ahead and do it.
However, try not to spend your whole Sunday lost in your work head and instead commit an hour of time management to organize your week ahead. Whether this means bullet journaling to get some clarity, mapping out your latest business newsletter, or making a to-do list for your latest events, dedicate a small amount of time to do one item on your list and then make sure to move on.
Want some ideas on how to use your time? Here are our recommendations:
- How to Stay Organized as Hell in 2021
- Wonderful Ways to Reduce Waste in Your Home
- 5 Journaling Ideas That Are Bringing Us Joy
Potter With a Podcast
Tune in to your favorite podcast and take an hour or two to potter around. Whether it's pruning your plants, slowly arranging your ‘to read’ pile, or scouring recipes for the coming week on the World Wide Web, this time isn’t about cleaning and ploughing through tasks but about going gentle. Sunday podcasts we love are Dear Sugars, Women on the Road, and Gretchen Rubin’s Happier.
Looking for your next favorite podcast? Here are our recommendations:
- 10 Funniest Podcasts To Listen To If You Need A Good Laugh
- Turn Up the Volume: The Best Podcasts for Women Out Now
- The Best Podcasts on Relationships
- 4 Podcasts for Female Empowered Adventures
Indulge in a Dose of Culture
Culture can mean anything from sitting back with an album of classical music or taking a virtual tour of a public art museum. It can mean browsing some free classes online whether in Greek Mythology or just a cooking class to learn how to make all your Italian favorites.
Whatever cultural feat you choose to spend your time in, don't worry about making it super highbrow. We all have our own cultural colors and maybe for you, it's perusing your next good read on the library database or spiraling into an internet hole looking up the latest fashion must-haves for your collection. Whatever it is, find a slice of culture that brings you joy.
Looking for something to do? Here are our recommendations:
Have a Picnic Lunch
Whether you go for a bike ride in the park and pack a picnic lunch or invite friends over to your garden for a spot of outdoor dining, there is something so Sunday sumptuous about laying out a picnic blanket and lazing with deli nibbles, a homemade veggie burger, and a craft beer picked up from the local brewery.
Take a Mindful Minute
Another great experience for a Sunday is taking a minute to feed your heart. Whether this is paying a visit to a soup kitchen to help out, writing a snail mail letter to a friend, or even doing some journaling and getting a thought or two on the page, take a minute and find ways to celebrate a hint of human connection or forging a stronger bond with your deeper sense of self.
It can be tricky to get off the treadmill and with so many awesome things to fill out time with, we don't always leave any moments to have a rummage and search in our own soul.
Looking for meaningful ways to be mindful? Here are our recommendations:
- 9 Tiny Ways to Give Back to Your Community
- How To (Actually) Get Involved In Politics Without Losing Friends
- 100 Ways to Heal: The Ultimate Self-Care Checklist
- Simple Mindful Habits to Change your Day
- The Big Chill: Apps to Help You Unwind
Take an Afternoon Bath
Sure, an evening bath is an ultimate way to relax, but an afternoon bath is a beautiful indulgence that is sure to leave you feeling like a queen. Warm sunlight through the window, steam, bubbles, a magazine and nothing to do but soak and soak for hours on end.
Need some spa-spiration? Here are our recommendations:
- How to Turn Your Bathroom Into a Spa Oasis
- Feed Your Skin - Put This On Your Face (and save some for a snack)
- 4 Relaxation Rituals For Stepping off the Anxiety Ledge
- Himalayan Salt Bath: What's the Science Behind A Soothing Soak?
Childish Delights
A little grownup nostalgia for childhood treats goes a long way. Whether it’s a board game, browsing your old family holiday snaps, coloring in or painting, or curling up on the sofa to watch a movie you once loved as a kid. For those keen to leap outdoors and embrace their inner child, you can wander the national zoo, go out for ice-cream, or even go ice skating depending on the season. These callbacks to younger days are a great way of soothing the soul, tapping into softer joy, and bringing about the spirit of innocence.
Need some ideas on what to do for fun? Here are our recommendations:
Take a Soul Stroll
Nothing is more healing and harmonious for the body, mind, and soul then heading out on a walk and immersing yourself in nature. Go to the park to see the cherry blossoms in bloom, take your camera and photograph all the small things that pique your interest along the way, take the car and drive out of the city and to a destination where an outdoor excursion takes you through a shaded forest or over the hills or even along the shore.
A Decadent Dinner
Treat Sunday suppers with the sanctimony they deserve. This is your night for lighting candles and cooking long and slow. If you don’t find the kitchen a relaxing place to be, then slow cooker Sundays can really take the weight off. Rainy Sundays call for simmering stews, warm curries and hearty soups.
Warmer weather can invite pulled pork to be cooked slow and served with tacos, beer and slaw. Whatever you choose to whip up in the kitchen, make it about all the senses and pure pleasure.
Finish with Something Fun
Of course, Sundays are all about embracing your inner couch potato but for those restless souls out there who want to make the most of the weekend before a heavy upcoming week, we salute your need to find a fun thing to do. Whereas Saturday night is notorious for being party night, Sunday night can still have lots to offer. If you can't get to a live performance, maybe check to see if there is a virtual event online. Virtual concerts have really taken off since the start of Covid-19 so it's worth checking to see if there's some live music online or even a mini-festival happening. The best bit - no need to dress up and hail a cab home.
Which celebratory routines do you weave into your Sundays? Share with us in the comments and let’s get some gorgeous weekend inspiration…
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