Sundays have always had a bittersweet feeling for me.  Even as a little girl, I knew it signified the “last day of freedom” before I was thrust back into the regularity of the weekdays.

As an entrepreneur, the idea of Sundays has taken on a whole new meaning.  I love what I do during the weekdays and weekends are rarely completely work-free.  But Monday through Friday definitely have a different focus and energy as do the weekends, and the last thing I want to do is show up groggy and cranky on Monday morning.

So, creating a Sunday that is the perfect combination of preparing for the week and indulging in the restfulness of the weekend has become very important for me.

Here’s a list of 5 simple things you can do on your Sundays to ensure that the week ahead is a productive and fulfilling one!

1. Work in the morning.  

Sunday mornings have the feeling of peace.  We’re still in the middle of our weekend and the energy is generally positive and happy.  If you need to do some “prep work” so you’re not slammed on Monday, take an hour or two in the morning to do it.  It’ll make you feel ready for the week, accomplished and excited to go relax for the rest of the day.  Most importantly, you’ll be free of that feeling of “I gotta get this done today” that can loom over you all day long and take you out of being present and enjoying the ease of Sunday.

2. Forget about your to-do list.

Once you’ve finished your work in the morning, hide your to-do list.  Save it for Monday.  While you may have excited yourself about what you’re getting set up to do for the week ahead, put all those tasks aside.  Just walk away from work and go spend your day as you like.

3. Don’t check your email.

Not once.  You’ve already done the work you need to, and that may have included catching up on emails.  Once your time is up, however, don’t get sucked back into this rabbit hole of work!  It will completely take you out of the present moment and I guarantee you will feel jipped out of a day of rest because of it.

4. Go play!

THE most important step!  Get out and go do something you love.  Go on a long drive with your spouse, go out to brunch with your sister, take your kids on an adventure to the neighborhood park, go swim at the beach.  Whatever it is, get out and go play in the world.  It’ll accomplish two things: 1) you’ll have a great time and 2) you’ll go into your week feeling energized and grateful for getting out of the house and of your routine.

5. Go to bed early.

Typically, this is a hard one because if you’ve spent your day getting work out of the way in the morning and relaxing and playing the rest of the day, you don’t want the day to end!  But, going to be early ensures that you’re well-rested for the week ahead.  If you’re a late-night person and love to catch up on work at night, resist the temptation!  (I’m raising my hand on that one).  The feeling of getting up early Monday morning feeling rested and ready to take on the world is worth it!

What are YOUR habits on Sunday?  Share below!