Sunday ritual meaning
15 Sunday Rituals to Set You Up for an Amazing Week
Healthy Living
written by JOSIE SANTI
Source: @crystalinmarie
The most unrelatable thing about me: Sundays are my favorite day of the weekend. I know that’s almost as annoying as if I said I love running or salad is my favorite food (both of which are untrue, BTW), but Sundays are no longer a sad ending to the weekend or a scary start to the weekdays (Sunday Scaries are real!). Instead, Sundays are the make-or-break day that I use to set up my entire week for happiness and success. Get rid of your Sunday Scaries and make the most of the day off with these 15 rituals that will set you up for a successful week:
1. Meal prep
The most basic of Sunday rituals, meal prepping is a crucial way to ensure your week is set up for success and that you have easy, healthy meals, even on your busiest days. The key is to do the kind of meal prepping that works best for you. Maybe planning out meals and grocery shopping is enough or maybe you want to prepare some basic dishes to reuse during the week, like roasted veggies or healthy breakfast muffins. You can also prepare ingredients instead of meals to make cooking easier throughout the week: boil eggs, slice lemon wedges, or wash and chop veggies.
2. Pick a theme for the week
We’re focused on to-do lists and goals, but what about setting an intention or a theme to focus on for the entire week? We can replace negative thoughts with phrases that are not only better for us but can also help us be more confident or feel less stressed, and we can set intentions for each week that will help us live our best lives. Every Sunday, pick an affirmation or “theme” (like staying present, moving more often, or having more fun) and write it every day in your planner so you don’t forget it. Then, live your entire week around this affirmation or theme.
3. Go extra on self-care
A little self-care Sunday is nothing new, but going all out on skincare, haircare, and overall TLC will not only help you feel relaxed and pampered going into the week, but you’ll also look and feel your best. First, set the mood: dim the lights, light candles, diffuse essential oils, turn on relaxing music, and put on a cozy robe. Stock up on all the luxurious products you love, whether it’s a CBD bath bomb or a high-quality hair mask, and get ready for a full day of pampering. Take a bath (or have a luxurious shower), indulge in dry brushing or exfoliating, give yourself a facial massage for relaxation and de-puffing, and finish off with a manicure or pedicure in your favorite color.
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4.
Make to-do lists (based on life goals) Making a to-do list is no revolutionary ritual, but are you making to-do lists with long-term goals in mind? Before making your weekly to-do list, ask yourself where you want to be in 5-10 years. Everything on your to-do list should help you take step toward achieving these goals. For example, strategize business growth, spend 30 minutes taking an online class, or work out if your goal is to be more active. In other words, to-do lists of even the simplest tasks should have a long-term perspective.
Making your to-do list with goals in mind will show you where you should be spending time and where you can be spending less time. Of course, you’ll always have to do the mundane house chores or tedious tasks, but figure out where you can outsource these items and prioritize what will get you closer to your goals so you make sure to get it done (yes, that means doing that workout or brainstorm meeting you’ve been putting off).
5.
Put on your favorite outfit The littlest rituals or habits can make the biggest difference in boosting your mood and setting the tone for the rest of the week. To beat the blues that come with the end of the weekend, save your very favorite OOTDs for Sundays. Whether that means the fancy loungewear that feels luxurious AF or the trendy sundress that makes you feel like a style star, put on the outfit that makes you feel your best from head to toe and get ready to take on the week ahead.
6. Get your inbox to zero
If your Monday mornings feel like a whirlwind starting the second you wake up, set your week up for success by getting ahead. While Sundays should feel like Sundays (rather than an extension of the workweek), spending just 10-20 minutes getting some work done will help you start your week already feeling ahead. If emails are a source of stress, tackle your inbox, or if scheduling feels like a tedious task on Monday mornings, plan out your meetings and deadlines the day before.
Just think about how good your Monday morning will feel when your inbox is already at zero and your calendar is planned out!
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7. Read
I’m the queen of excuses when it comes to reading more often. “I’m too tired,” “I don’t have any new books,” and “How am I expected to do anything else in my free time when every season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is on Peacock!?” are excuses I use on a regular basis. But reading is not only enjoyable, it’s also good for you. Whether it’s winding down before bed on Sunday night, spending some time in the afternoon, or the ritual you look forward to when starting your day, fit in some more time to read. As for what to read? Start with books that will boost your mood or the most anticipated books of the season.
8. Tidy up your home
Dishes in the sink or laundry piled on the chair (we all have that one chair), can prevent you from feeling fully relaxed while going to bed at night or could make you more stressed to start the next day. Clutter in your space can translate into clutter in your mind, so dedicate a short amount of time on your Sunday to run the dishwasher, wipe off kitchen counters, and put away laundry that has piled up in the bedroom. A less cluttered bedroom will help you sleep at night and a clean kitchen will make you happier the next morning.
9. Check your bank account and make weekly goals
Self-care doesn’t always mean bubble baths or face masks. Sometimes, self-care means being an independent adult and doing what you can to feel in control of your finances. While having a detailed financial plan and setting goals can help you reduce money-related stress and achieve what you want in life, feeling in control of your finances doesn’t always require a lot of time and energy.
At the beginning of every week, take a minute to glance over your bank account and credit card statements. Getting in the habit of frequently checking can help identify fraud early on and will also give you a good idea of where you’re spending and where you can be saving.
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10. Schedule workouts
You schedule meetings, appointments, and plans in advance, so why not schedule your workouts too? Not only will having a 10 a.m. jog or a 5 p.m. workout class on your calendar hold you accountable to make the workouts happen, but when you prioritize you-time just as much as you prioritize a work meeting or dinner with a friend, you’re making a statement that self-care is just as important as every other aspect of your life (because it should be).
Treat your scheduled workouts like any other item on your calendar: Show up on time, be prepared, and don’t cancel last minute.
11. Detox your desk space
For the most productive, positive start to your week, your workspace should be clean and organized (remember: clutter in your space can translate into clutter in your mind!). A messy workspace can add to the feelings of stress, overwhelm, and anxiety that comes with the start of a busy week, so minimize as much clutter as possible on Sunday. Clean out your desk drawers, organize papers or mail, and even wipe down your computer. If you don’t have a workspace, you’ll get the same benefits from detoxing your desktop (AKA deleting that folder of Christmas decor inspo that’s been sitting there since December), organizing contacts, or installing any updates (to avoid that annoying notification throughout the week).
12. Get outside
No Sunday Scaries here: Being in the great outdoors can boost your mood and help ease stress to feel happier and more relaxed.
Even just 20 minutes sitting in a park or going on a walk can elevate your mood and help foster important skills that contribute to happiness, like confidence, kindness, and the feeling of awe. For an instant mood boost, get outside on your Sunday: Sip a morning coffee on your balcony or porch, go on a bike ride, or even sit by a window to reap some of the benefits. If you have free time, consider spending it at your local park or beach instead of on your couch, and if you’re planning to work out, take it outdoors for an instant mood booster that will make you feel good for the rest of the week.
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13. Pick out your outfits
Decision fatigue is real, people! We make a lot of decisions every single day, even just within the first few minutes of waking up: whether or not to hit snooze, when to turn on the coffee pot, and what to wear (which is approximately 100 different decisions).
The little decisions add up to feel so overwhelming that we become unable to make even the most basic decisions. To limit and avoid the mental exhaustion and decision fatigue many of us experience regularly, take away as many little decisions as possible before your week even starts. Picking out a week’s worth of outfits on Sunday means that your energy can go to more important things during the week, like important work projects (or, you know, what to order for lunch).
14. Get sexy
No, getting sexy is not just for Saturday night. Whether it’s a little ménage-à-Moi, having a check-in with your partner about what you want to try more of this week, or just making a list of the things that brought you pleasure today (a silk nightgown, a cup of coffee, sleeping in, etc.), take some time to tap into your sensual side. Bonus: Checking yourself out in the mirror and putting on a playlist that gets you going will set up the rest of your week for more confidence, pleasure, and enjoyment, both in and out of the bedroom.
15. Take time to do nothing
Sundays often come with so many “shoulds.” “I should be grocery shopping,” “I should be doing laundry,” or “I should be getting ahead with work.” While many of the rituals listed in this roundup are “shoulds” that will help you have the best week ever, there’s also another important ritual you need to set you up for a better week: doing nothing. Instead of waking up to rush from one thing to the next, make your coffee, turn on your music, and just be.
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7 Sunday Rituals to Set You up for a Really Good Week
Healthy Living
- Copy By: Jessica Estrada
- Feature Image By: @this_is_ess
The key to having a really amazing week is to kick it off on the right foot. What you do on Sunday has a big impact on how you feel the rest of the week, which is exactly why it’s so important to implement a few easy Sunday rituals.
From choosing cute outfits to meal prepping, here are seven Sunday rituals that will set you up for a really good week.
Source: @thissavoryvegan
1. Meal Prep
Carving out just a couple of hours on Sunday to meal prep will allow you to get all of your meals ready for you to just grab and eat during the week. Not only will it save you time and stress, but it also makes it so much easier to eat healthy since you don’t have to think about it. Try to make it a fun ritual by flipping through your favorite cookbooks or trying one of these tasty recipes!
READ: 20 Low-Carb Dinners You Can Meal Prep on Sunday
READ: 15 Adult Lunchables So Good They’ll Make You Excited for Work
READ: 11 Trader Joe’s Hacks You Need to Know
Source: @lulus
2. Choose Your Outfits
Standing in front of your closet in the morning trying to figure out what to wear before you rush off to work is a huge waste of time.
Instead, prep all your outfits for the week on Sunday, so you can spend that extra morning time getting a little more sleep.
Source: Studio McGee
3. Clean Up Your Space
The way your space looks makes a huge impact on the way you feel. If your home is messy, you feel like your life is a hot mess, too. Kick off the week right by spending a little time on Sunday just tidying everything up — it doesn’t need to be a deep clean, just putting things away and clearing off the countertops can make a difference. Don’t underestimate how amazing it feels to wake up to — get home to — a clean space.
Source: The Chriselle Factor
4. Enjoy Some Self-Care
You’ve probably read the Pinterest quote, “A Sunday well spent brings a week of content” a million times, but it’s so true. Taking time for yourself on Sunday will boost your mood, relieve stress, and will make you feel overall happier so that you can dive into the new week with a good mindset.
Whether it’s taking a bubble bath, putting on a face mask and watching Netflix, or going out to do something fun, make your Sunday self-care time non-negotiable.
READ: 15 Acts of Self Care to Try This Weekend
Source: @hannahbronfman
5. Set Your Intention
Setting an intention for the week ahead is so powerful. It’s not so much about goal setting or what you want to check off your to do list; it’s more about deciding how you want to feel in advance. Maybe you’re setting the intention to drink more water so you feel energized, or maybe you just want to be more mindful and slow things down. Set an intention for how you want to feel and let it be your guiding light throughout the week.
Pro tip: Write your intention on sticky notes and sprinkle them around your home so you’ll be constantly reminded.
Source: @cgdlondon
6. Plan Out Your Week
This one is especially important if you know you have a busy week up ahead.
Instead of just letting your to-do list rattle around in your mind, get it all down on paper and map out when you’ll get what done. This will instantly relieve some stress which allows you to focus on just the tasks that need to get done for the day — instead of feeling overwhelmed by everything that needs to get done that week.
Source: @katie.lavie
7. Clean Out Your Purse
Our purses hold pretty much our entire lives, so they can very quickly get cluttered with receipts, trash, and who knows what else, making it impossible to find what you need when you need it. Cleaning out your purse every Sunday takes just a few minutes, but you’ll thank yourself so much when you don’t have to go swimming in your purse to find your car keys.
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Family rituals: why they are needed
Families differ from each other not only in the number of children, wealth and place of residence. Each family has its own traditions, customs, habits, legends that unite all its members and allow them to feel like a single whole.
Such family rituals often constitute the most precious memory of childhood, which remains with a person for life.
Rituals are not a daily routine. Symbolically, rituals help to voice and convey to children the thought: “This is who we are, this is what we are, this is what we value and love”, provide a link between generations. And the daily routine is just a list of what needs to be done in order for life to go on as usual. nine0005
For example, a child goes to bed every day at nine o'clock in the evening - this is an element of the daily routine. But the special words that a mother says to her son before going to bed, a kiss, a song or a joke, reading a fairy tale, or even a moment when a mother tucks a blanket around her daughter to make her feel comfortable - this is personal, additional, this is a ritual.
Why rituals are important
“Family rituals allow you to create or restore a friendly atmosphere in the home, cohesion between family members, give a sense of confidence and stability, and are the basis for raising children,” says psychologist Natalia Vishnevskaya.
- Good family relations, mutual understanding and respect, common goals and interests - all this and much more is formed thanks to family rituals. Their observance affects the formation of their own identity in children, affects their health, academic achievements, further work and satisfaction with life in the family. nine0005
Maintaining family rituals during difficult times, such as when parents divorce or move to another city, reduces conflict and helps the child adapt to change. Rituals provide a sense of security in a turbulent world and contribute to a positive perception of change, work as a comfort in a stressful situation.
Natalia Vishnevskaya, psychologist
For example, the tradition of sending postcards for the New Year or from travels, congratulating relatives and friends over the phone on all holidays reflects the value of support, gives the feeling that we are not alone. The tradition of feasts reflects the idea of the strength of family ties. It is important to hold such festive feasts according to a certain scenario, where there is a place for competitions, games, and even simple theatrical performances in which all family members take part.
Family customs help the child feel that he can count on the help of loved ones, that he will not be left in trouble, they will stand up for him, he has someone to rely on. nine0005
Where rituals come from and how to create them
Some family rituals can be passed down from generation to generation, from grandparents, for example, to celebrate some significant holidays in a special way - religious, state or domestic. One of the common rituals in families with small and not very children is reading at night or a heart-to-heart conversation before going to bed with a discussion of the events that took place during the day. But each family can come up with their own, unlike others, special ritual, which can later become part of the family tradition, family traditions. nine0005
The meaning of the ritual is to keep it constant, so when creating new rituals, choose something that will please everyone and will not require much effort to perform.
Rituals can change over time, and this is not bad, but on the contrary, it shows that the family is a living organism, a structure where people can listen and hear each other.
“For example, teenagers may get bored with weekly dinners with relatives at some point, and they should not be forced to attend these dinners,” advises Natalia Vishnevskaya. “From now on, it will be weekly dinners with relatives without children.” Perhaps later, a teenager who has turned into a young man will remember the old ritual of having dinner with his family every week and appreciate it in a new way, return to it. nine0005
7 ideas for family rituals
1. Joint housework turned into a game. She will teach children responsibility. In addition, helping adults, children will feel needed, special. For example, each member of the family is assigned a task when setting the table: someone takes out plates, someone lays out napkins, someone puts cutlery. This can be done to your favorite music in the family.
2. Family volunteering. You can do good deeds with the whole family in an animal shelter or in a nursing home, in any charity organization you like that needs volunteers - the main thing is that adults have a desire to show their children the importance of empathy.
nine0005
3. Family hug time. There is a ritual that helps the family to slow down after work and school and have a good time together. Every time the family gets together at home, they all get on the sofa together and hug for 5 minutes. It's called Family Hug Time.
4. Morning and evening greetings. For example, say to your son in the morning: “Good morning, my dear!” or in the evening of the daughter: “Good night, princess!” Warm words, cute nicknames and hugs from parents are the key to a child's good mood, his high self-esteem. nine0005
5. Sunday breakfast for the whole family when no one is in a hurry. During breakfast, you can chat about how the week went: what new children learned, what adults saw new, discuss plans for the future.
6. Cooking your favorite holiday food together. For example, baking a cake according to a grandmother's recipe or making dumplings for the New Year's table with the whole family is also an opportunity for family members to communicate, joke and strengthen ties.
7. Parents' day. nine0032 When children do everything for their parents: they clean, cook, set the table.
Three Rules of the Ritual
- The ritual is regularly repeated. In this case, the frequency of the ritual can be any.
- All family members participate in the ritual voluntarily and enjoy it.
- The ritual is perceived as something important, personal and bringing the family together. The options here are only limited by your imagination and what exactly your family means to you. nine0062
You can go to the cinema together once a month, and then to a cafe, arrange a trip to interesting neighborhoods every vacation. It can be agreed that every Sunday mom, dad and children take turns preparing some new dish, surprises are arranged for each family member on their birthday, and once a month everyone goes for a walk in their favorite park, participates in bike rides or plays basketball (football). , tennis).
Interviewed by Anna Demina
Photo: Pixabay, Unsplash
Let's talk about rituals – Psychological and pedagogical support of positive parenthood
What are family rituals? Every morning the child washes, dresses, has breakfast and goes to school.
This is the agenda. But how they see him off at the doorstep, what they say goodbye and how they wave after him from the window - this is a family ritual. This is what unites the members of this particular family, what gives invisible support and is the warmest childhood memories.
The value of the ritual.
Family rituals create their own unique atmosphere, make you feel needed and protected. Emphasize the individuality of each and unite. In difficult periods of life, they help not to despair, but to feel the support of the family. Rituals help to form good relationships, respect and mutual understanding. A child in whose family their little rituals and traditions are observed grows more calm and self-confident. nine0005
How to create your own traditions.
Many family habits are passed down from generation to generation. For example, reading before going to bed or meeting with relatives on weekends, weekly trips to the country or obligatory Sunday walks.
You can maintain old rituals, or you can come up with your own. The main thing is to choose what the whole family will like and does not require complicated implementation. After all, the meaning of the ritual is in its constant repetition.
Don't worry if the children, as they grow up, begin to avoid some family traditions. A teenager, for obvious reasons, may lose interest in making dumplings with the whole family or the obligatory Sunday dinner. Do not force, but continue your ritual, having matured, he will gladly join him again. nine0005
Some ideas for family rituals.
- Greetings and farewells. How do you wake up a child in the morning and wish him good night in the evening. What words and cute nicknames. “My teddy bear” or “My princess”? Warm words, hugs of parents give a feeling of calm or positive charge for the day
- Housework. Divide household chores. Everyone does something different, and in the end you are doing a common family job together.
Whether it's cleaning the apartment or setting the table. Everyone feels his need and at the same time his individuality. nine0062 - Embrace. Come up with your ritual of daily family hugs. 5 minutes a day is enough for everyone to relax and feel family warmth.
- Breakfast at the weekend. You can not only spend it all over the place for a pleasant conversation, but also cook it with the whole family.
- Ritual of good deeds. It doesn't matter what you will do. Feed the birds or help elderly neighbors. It is important that it becomes a habit and that you volunteer together.
- Cooking together. You can not only sculpt dumplings, but also make, for example, postcards for the new year with your own hands. Joint creativity always unites. nine0062
General rules.
- The ritual is voluntary. It should please everyone and bring joy.
- The ritual must be repeated. Choose the frequency that is convenient for you and enjoy spending time together.
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