Starting a self-care Sunday routine can pose a challenge for most moms. However, you will find self-care tips and tricks in this post that will make it doable.
Self-care means you take care of yourself and meet your needs. You also start doing more for yourself. And often, this is hard during the busy week.
So why not dedicate one day to self-care and make sure you feel whole and loved. This doesn’t mean you can’t do self-care throughout the week too, but on Sunday, dedicate a chunk of time to solely taking care of yourself.
However, keep in mind, self-care doesn’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to do the same thing as your best mom-friend that lives up the street.
If you don’t feel like you have a self-care routine, start small with just tone day.
Why do Self-Care on Sunday?
Sunday is a day of rest, so why not use this day to feel rested, loved, and whole? Take advantage of your downtime after a busy week and weekend. Plan for your new week and set aside time for yourself too.
1. Plan Your Weekly Self-Care Routine
Start by figuring out what your week will look like. Even if the family is around, you can still do your planning and even include them in some of your self-care activities.
2. Decide
Then decide on how long you want to dedicate to self-care. You can chunk out an hour of the day or change your routine for the day to include self-care. (Can you say, “spa day?”)
3. Prepare
Use Sunday to reset and prepare for your best week. By planning the week, your week will go much more smoothly and you will have more time for yourself, where you aren’t running around the house frantically trying to find a matching sock as your kid is almost late for school.
How is Self-Care Sunday Different from Daily Self-Care?
It isn’t too much different except you are planning time you can relax and practice self-care on Sunday, since you may have a busy week. You still want to find activities that help you feel calm and relaxed. Yet, Sunday may offer you a little more free time.
Plus you won’t feel the pressure of your weekly routine, which may involve work, making dinner, homework, and kid’s activities. Let’s face it, after bedtime routines, most of us only have about an hour to clean up and maybe catch up on Netflix.
Whether you are able to do self-care alone or with the family, Sunday is the perfect day to reset.
What is Your Current Sunday Routine
First, think about your Sunday schedule. What do you usually do on Sundays? Can you move some of these things to another day, so you can have a few extra hours to yourself?
Next, make a list of things you do every Sunday. Are there things on the list that no longer serve you? Try crossing off things that are bogging you down and draining your energy. Look at the time you have left and decide if you have any activities that can be moved to Saturday.
For example, I like to clean the house on Sundays, but I started moving these chores to weekdays and doing one extra chore per weekday to free up time.
2. Sunday Self-Care Activity Ideas
Using Sunday as a dedicated self-care day is just like self-care you would do on any other day of the week. Yet, on Sunday you will have more time available. Try to find activities that are soothing and calming.
Make sure you find activities that suit your needs and work for you.
Here are some activities that can be great to do on Sundays:
Sleep in for Once
If you are up early every other day of the week, indulge in staying in your comfy bed on Sundays. Give yourself extra time to rest and recoup from the busy week.
Even God rested on Sundays, and you deserve one day of rest too.
Sunday brunch with friends
Call a few girlfriends that you have a positive relationship with (no toxic friends today!) and go to brunch. Relax and enjoy some comfort food with your girls and spill the deets of your week.
Take a Trip to the beach or park
Although you are focusing on yourself, you can still enjoy the beach or park with your kids. Instead of sitting on screens, get outside and enjoy nature. Take a picnic lunch and a good book. (My kids are at the age where I can read while they play.)
Have an hour of pampering
What is your favorite way to pamper yourself? Do you enjoy massages, manicures, or pedicures? Perhaps a long bubble bath?
My favorite is a pedicure and I enjoy face masks at home if I can’t get out. Find something you truly enjoy and embrace it. You deserve to be pampered and remember, self-care is NOT selfish.
Reading or Creative Projects
I’m sad to say, I joined a book club and never read any of the books. It was hard to find the books, get them, and read them on time. Eventually, I gave up.
Yet, with extra time on Sundays I can read a book I truly enjoy and you can too.
Do you have some creative projects you have been putting off? Do you like to paint or do crafts? Find something you can do that you love such as knitting, painting, writing, or crocheting.
Plan Ahead for the Week
If you are able to plan ahead, your week will run more smoothly, and hey, maybe you will have a little extra time for self-care during the week too.
By planning ahead, you will feel less frazzled and know everything is taken care of. I like to set out my kid’s clothes for the week so I don’t have to worry about laundry or making sure they have socks which is a challenge. I also like to meal plan and make sure they have everything needed for lunches so I don’t have to make last-minute trips to the store.
Planning ahead can really give you a big head-start to your week and help you stay calm.
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3. Self-Care for Introverts and Extroverts
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Perhaps you are a little bit of both, depending on the situation. Either is okay, but keep in mind your personality when choosing your activities. Here are some ideas to help:
Self-Care for Introverts
If you are an introvert, being alone is probably your thing. You don’t want to choose meeting a group of new people for lunch as a self-care activity because this will only stress you out.
However, you don’t need to be alone all the time, so choose some time for yourself each day to rest and gain your composure.
- Sunday Quiet Solitude Time – As an introvert, having quiet time to yourself must sound like a dream. You can use this time to recharge and relax. It can be quite difficult being around others all week, and this quiet time may be just what you need.
- Nature-Inspired Self-Care Activities – Find a quiet and peaceful outdoor area such as a nature preserve or walking trail. Introverts tend to enjoy nature in a peaceful environment where they can enjoy the beauty of the earth.
- Get Creative – Find some amazing creative activities you can participate in such as poetry, adult coloring, or painting. As an introvert, you can practice creativity alone.
Self-Care for Extroverts
If you are more of a social type, you love being around other people. This type of interaction fuels and uplifts you. In fact, if you are an extrovert, you probably enjoy being around others rather than by yourself. Here are some tips for extroverts wanted to practice more self-care:
- Friend Social Time – If you love spending time with others, having social time with your friends may be the self-care you need to feel revitalized. So give your bestie a call and hang out, take a walk together, or do lunch.
- Volunteering – Think about your passions and volunteer for an organization that aligns with your goals. If you love animals, try an animal shelter. Perhaps you feel strongly about feeding the hungry. You can find a local soup kitchen. All of your volunteer efforts will make you feel good as a person and warm your heart.
- Join a Club– Find a local club you will enjoy and start attending outings. You can often find local groups on Facebook including brunch clubs, social clubs, or thousands of others. If you are social, you will enjoy the time spent with others doing something you love.
4. Tips for Your Sunday Self-Care Routine
In order to really understand what self-care means, these tips will help you avoid self-care mistakes and help you better establish a self-care routine.
Self-care is for your overall wellbeing including emotional, mental, and physical aspects of your body and life.
It is meant to help you feel fulfilled and whole. Taking into consideration, you are human, and being whole means taking care of all your needs including emotional, mental, and physical to truly feel good about yourself. If you leave one out, you could be left running on empty.
In order to take care of yourself, it is essential to find something that helps you relax and let go of stress. You also want to find things you absolutely love and are uplifting.
Your Self-Care Needs Can Change Regularly
Keep in mind, you can change up your self-care routine and try different things. Adjusting as needed, is part of life. If you are journaling daily, that is great, but it doesn’t mean you can’t do something else too or put away your journal for a few days. You also may need to adjust to your new schedule, as if you have kids that can be ever-changing.
Try to revisit what you are doing often and put something down in the calendar so self-care is not forgotten. As the seasons change, look for different self-care ideas that will adjust with time too. I know I am often stressed during the holidays and adding a pampering day in there, will definitely benefit me and my family.
A Common Mistake is Forcing Your Self-Care
Try not to force self-care. It should come easily and naturally and not feel like a chore. You don’t want self-care to make you more stressed. If you are run down, it is okay to cancel lunch.
If friends are participating in a certain form of self-care, it may not suit your needs and if it feels forced, it probably isn’t the best self-care idea for you.
Self-Care Sunday Final Thoughts…
Self-care is an important part of life and practicing self-care will make you feel revitalized and whole-hearted. Use Self-care Sunday to help you chunk out self-care time just for you. Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, find self-care activities that align with your needs and practice them often. You deserve it and self-care means a better, loving, cared-for person for your entire family.
