Ahh, Sundays. They make up half of our precious weekend, if you’re one of the ~75% of people who work Monday through Friday. Yet, all too often, the day is dampened by our anxiety and stress about the week ahead — AKA the Sunday Scaries. Let us propose an alternative, one that will let you make the most of your entire weekend, and leave you feeling ready to take on the week ahead: The Sunday Reset.

Our hot take: by combining self-care (which always includes taking our multivitamins)* with the productive to-do’s you need to tackle, you’ll head into Monday with fewer worries, without feeling like you gave your entire day away to errands. Plus, by taking care of yourself over the weekend, you’re getting into a good groove that will make it easier to prioritize your wellbeing during the week ahead. Here is our most-treasured Sunday routine to give you an idea of some things you can do morning, noon and night to make Sunday, dare we say, your new favorite day.

Banish the Sunday Scaries with this Weekend Reset

A.M.

- Get your ZZZ’s. While experts recommend at least 7 hours of sleep for adults, some of us need more. If you’re used to waking up at the crack of dawn during the week, sleeping a few extra hours can really feel luxurious, and help us feel like we got some extra relaxation time in. So hit that snooze button (maybe once, maybe 12 times — we won’t judge) and pull down your eye mask for a bit. You deserve it.

- Hit those Rituals. Take a Multivitamin and Synbiotic+ (yep, our delayed-release capsule design makes them empty-stomach friendly*) as you think about a delicious, nourishing breakfast. Maybe a smoothie with our Essential Protein, or your favorite vegan pancake recipe. Whatever’s going to make you happy and help you stay on track as you move through your day.

- Get outside. Research tells us that exposure to morning sunlight is good for our mood and helps set us up for a better night of sleep. To double up on health benefits, get moving out there! Try tackling your morning errands on foot, or simply start your day with a walk — you can listen to your favorite podcast, call a friend, or just visualize what you want your upcoming week to look like.

P.M.

- Beast your to-do list. That pile of laundry in the corner of your room that’s been side-eyeing you all week? Show it who’s boss. Our brains function better in a clean, uncluttered environment — and the act of cleaning itself can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Powering through your list of to-do’s as part of your Sunday routine will make you feel so productive, and get rid of any procrastination anxiety. Future-you is going to be so grateful.

- Take care of #1 (aka you). Slot in time to do what makes you feel good! Whether that’s a yoga class, jog in the park, a long bubble bath, meditation sesh, or putting cucumber slices over your eyes a la Mrs. Windham Vandermark in Legally Blonde). You’ll feel relaxed, rewarded, and refreshed as you close out the weekend, and momentarily forget about those spreadsheets you owe Tom in Marketing tomorrow.

- Plan. Writing down short-term goals unburdens the brain and reduces the amount of intrusive (read: stressful) thoughts. Writing out your goals for the week ahead and how you’ll accomplish them will likely make you more inclined to achieve them.

However you choose to revamp your Sunday routine, reframing Sunday as an opportunity to reset can help you wind the weekend down feeling ready for anything, versus ready for a breakdown. Carpe Sunday, baby!

References:

1. Table 9. number of days per week workers usually worked and percent working, by day of week and selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-2018. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019). Available at: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/flex2.t09.htm.

2. How much sleep do I need? (2022) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html

3. McMains, S., & Kastner, S. (2011, January 12). Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex. Journal of Neuroscience. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://www.jneurosci.org/content/31/2/587

4. Mead, M.N. (2008) Benefits of sunlight: A bright spot for human health, Environmental health perspectives. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/

5. Schrager, S. (2021) Improving time management through modern-day to-do lists, Family Practice Management. Available at: https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/2022/0100/p5.html