Have you ever said you were going to get organized on a Sunday night before work on Monday and then the weekend just totally got away from you? Next thing you know it’s Monday morning and you are frazzled. Nothing was prepared for the week and it’s stressing you the f out. You think to yourself, man if I would have just set myself up for success on Sunday night, I wouldn’t be feeling like this!! But then, next Sunday… It happens again! What the heck!! How can you get out of that cycle and *actually* set yourself up for a good week?

First things first, yay for acknowledging that the way you are doing things might not be working. It’s a hard first step and a damn important one. Because in all reality, if you don’t accept something is off, then you won’t be open to trying something new.

Something I’ve noticed about myself since becoming an adult and working everyday is that I get anxious the night before work. It’s like CLOCKWORK at this point. It’s annoying and frustrating and even though I know I don’t need to be anxious, it happens anyways. Some people know this feeling as the Sunday Scaries but I know this as the Everyday Scaries lol. It never used to be this bad, but honestly that’s a post for another time. 

So, through some trial and error I have some things that I must do before the week begins to set myself up for success and the least amount of stress and anxiety possible. Here are the steps to figure out your own plan to help set YOURSELF up for the most successful Monday and week possible!

First step: Figure out what stresses you out most about Mondays

To set yourself up for a good week you first need to know WHAT can be improved. For example, if you always find Mondays to be super rushed, maybe you need to start making lunch the night before or laying out your clothes or even making a to-do list before Monday even comes. 

Here are a few examples of things that stress me out on Monday:

• Mornings feel rushed and stressful 
• Never have a healthy lunch
• Not sure what I am going to post on IG 
• Wake up feeling anxious and kind of down

Once you have a list of the things that could be better and the things that stress you out then you can actively start planning to fix it!

Second step: Jot down ideas to fix the stressors

So now that you kind of know what the issue is you can start to brainstorm ways you can fix it. This part should be pretty easy with your handy dandy list made (anyone else still say “handy dandy notebook”? Thanks Blues Clues lol)! Think about tasks you could do the night before or things you could remove from your morning all together to make it run smoother. Maybe even add some things to your day or week to uplift your mood!

Some of my own ideas to set myself up for a good week:

• Pack my lunch the night before 
• Wake up earlier so I’m not so rushed
• Listen to music to uplift my mood while I’m getting ready
• Create a Sunday night routine to wind down 

Keep in mind: you don’t need to solve every single problem you are experiencing and honestly, it’s probably best if you don’t even try. There is only so much time in the morning, day, and week. In a perfect world we would all have the most perfect Sunday night routine, the most relaxing morning routine, and the best memory so you don’t ever need to stress about your to do list. Is that realistic? Hell no! Is it realistic to add one or two things to your weekend or morning? Yes!!

Third step: Create a Sunday night wind down routine 

I’m going to be real with you… I have always loved the idea of creating routines but I had the hardest time ever actually creating and following through with them. I would miss a day or forget something and I would feel like a failure. But here’s the thing, you don’t need to be perfect. I learned that after some serious trial and error. Just create a routine that makes you happy and calms you down. It doesn’t need to be a big production. It could simply be watching your fav Youtuber while you get ready for bed. It’s all up to you!

A few tips I have for you when you start creating a Sunday night routine: 

• It can be the same as your normal night routine BUT try to add something a little extra in there to make it feel special 
• Feel free to write it down somewhere – you can’t always remember everything so it’s okay to follow a list
• Be flexible – sometimes things come up or changes need to happen, it’s all good!

Fourth step: Have self compassion 

As mentioned above – routines, lifestyle changes, etc can be difficult. They can be hard to follow through with, especially when life is crazy and you just don’t feel like it. Just know, THAT’S OKAY! No one is perfect. Don’t let those celebrities and influencers fool you! They may look like they have it all together but they are just like you. They struggle and fall off their routines. It’s normal and okay. Just practice self compassion and allow for some flexibility! If you need some tips on how to be more self compassionate check out this post.

Here are 5 extra ideas to help you prep for Monday morning a little better:

Get organized: set out your keys, ID’s, wallet, granola bar, etc. in a spot you will remember so you don’t have to rush around at the last minute for them!

Do the dishes: no one likes to wake up Monday morning to a sink full of dirty dishes. Do yourself a major favour and clean up the kitchen on Sunday so you have a fresh, clean start on Monday morning 

Self care Sunday: this term exists for a reason… engage in some form of self care on Sunday. It doesn’t matter how big or small. You could have an entire spa day or you could take 10 minutes to write in your journal. Whatever it is, try to make it a priority before the week starts! If you like to read check out this post with 6 book recs to add to your reading list!

Write that to-do list on Friday: if you ever think about work during the weekend and then stress hard core on Monday morning because you forgot what needed to be done… Give yourself a piece of mind and write your Monday to do list on Friday afternoon before you leave work!

Move your body: Exercise helps us in so many ways. Make sure on Sunday you get some movement in. Go for a walk, head to that yoga class, or whatever you enjoy doing! This will help you burn some energy and help you get to bed a little earlier (hopefully)!!

How do you set yourself up for a good week? Share your tips in the comments 🙂