Sunday is my linchpin day for getting organised, taking time for self care, and generally prepping for the working week ahead.

Come Monday morning I want to hit the ground running, and feel energised and organised ????????

Although I’m still over in Austin RN and my work routine is MUCH more flow-y, I wanted to share how I normally prepare for a positive and productive week.

Allocating just a few hours on a Sunday (or whenever works for you) can completely transform your working week.

Here’s how I put a little prep into practice . . .

How To Prepare For A Positive And Productive Week, On A Sunday

1 – Domestic Bliss

Following my ‘Health, Home, Hustle’ mantra, home and all of the domestic chores involved in it play a huge part in how ‘ready’ I feel for the working week.

If there are shoes scattered around the flat, washing that needs to be done and flowers turning in their vases, I can’t concentrate on my work properly. Instead I find myself tidying up before settling down to my to-dos.

Not so productive!

Rather than allowing those domestic tasks to encroach on my work week, I try to have a good clear up every weekend. I normally find myself doing this on a Saturday, but choose whichever day works for you! During the week I then only need to ‘top up’ on the domestic stuff.

Often I’ll fit housework in following a gym class so that I can stay in my workout gear. (Any excuse ????!)

If you hate housework (I get it!) I recommend pairing your cleaning and tidying with listening to podcasts. It barely feels like a chore when I’m listening to a show I love.

Ultimately – there’s nothing lovelier, or more calming than a clean and tidy home.

Along these lines . . .

I also like to make sure that I have clean, pressed clothes hanging in my wardrobe so that I don’t have to fuss too much during the week.

Knowing that this is out of the way over the weekend means that come Monday morning I can focus on what I really need – and want – to.

2 – Food Shop

Oli and I aren’t quite into the swing of regular food shops in our new home yet, and I’ve noticed that not having a well-stocked fridge wastes so. much. time.

Decision fatigue is real and when you’re hungry half way through your work day, I find it so counterproductive to faff around buying ingredients and figuring out what to eat.

Instead I’m trying to focus on stocking up on things we use often – like eggs, avocado, sourdough bread etc on the weekend (or when we can). Whilst we still buy fresh ‘top up’ things, it’s great to always have an easy to assemble option available.

In the long run I’d like to start meal prepping over the weekend too – making it even easier throughout the week to whip up healthy fresh meals.

This video from Anna is giving me ideas!

3 – Macro & Micro To Do Lists

I wrote about Macro to Micro to-do-listing at length here. It remains one of my top tips for ensuring a productive week.

Simply put, macro to micro to-do lists, means making a week-long (macro) to-do list on a Sunday, and then breaking that down into daily (micro) to-do lists for each week day ahead.

SO helpful.

I start with my Macro to-do lists.

I keep three Macro to-do lists, one for Health, one for Home and one for Hustle.

For Health and Home the lists are relatively short as I have consistent focuses like “good quality sleep” and “clearing the kitchen every night”.

Whereas my Hustle to-do list really benefits from the Macro approach. For this I try to stick to roughly 10-15 tasks for the week.

I then stagger my workload throughout the week using Micro to-do lists.

I allocate a couple of tasks from my ‘Hustle’ list per day, and make sure that my ‘Health’ and ‘Home’ focuses are on there too.

Moreover I like to have a general think about my intentions and values for the week ahead.

4 – Self Care Sunday

This has to be one of my favourite parts of the weekend! I hadn’t heard the term ‘self care Sunday’ before watching one of Jess’s Instagram Stories. Jess was sharing her ‘Sunday masking routine’ (when you use a few back to back face masks) and I was suddenly hooked on this idea of a self care slot on a Sunday.

Taking the time to rest, pour into yourself and have a pamper on a Sunday, makes ALL the difference in setting the tone for a good week ahead.

Moreover if you take care of your skin on a Sunday, you’ll be glowing all week long!

Most week nights I can’t be bothered to use a face mask, but Sunday is a day when I have the luxury of more time.

I wrote more about my ideal self care evening here.

5 – Healthy Dinner

I first read this tip in this article on Camille Styles, and I have to say it WORKS.

Eating a healthy nutritious dinner on a Sunday evening, and staying clear of alcohol and sugar, means that my energy levels are great on a Monday morning.

There’s nothing like feeling good to really set the tone for a productive week ahead, and so this is one commitment I stick by.

My go-to healthy dinner is roasted fish, with lots of green veggies and a grain or potatoes. So tasty!

Overall

A good Sunday routine makes ALL the difference in ensuring a productive and positive week ahead.

Just a few hours (or less!) of prep, lays the foundation for a great week.

I should point out too that although a Sunday works well for me, you can allocate any day in your week which signals the ‘fresh start’ day for you.

What’s Your Take?

Do you have a Sunday routine which helps with your week ahead?

If so, what do you include?

I’d love to know!

Love, Monica x

Photography by Charlotte Bryer-Ash