Romanticizing Sundays

Who doesn’t find themselves with a case of the Sunday Scaries every now and then? Though Sundays are often known as a day to rest, I can find it hard to relax as the weekend winds down and my mind starts to shift to all that awaits me Monday morning. I think of all I could be doing to get ahead and somehow find myself already feeling behind. In an effort to calm the feelings of unease that begin to creep up, I’ve started to romanticize my Sundays, filling the day with tasks that will help me feel prepared to start a new week, but done so in a way that I look forward to, rather than dread.

Now, I wake up a little slower on Sundays, lingering in bed to read a little and snuggle with our sleepy dog while the coffee brews. I leave my phone on its charger while I pad out to the living room and light a candle to signify the start of a new day and enjoy my drink while working on the day’s crossword. Once our dog has finally emerged from the bedroom, I take my coffee outside and sit on the porch while she plays in the grass for a spell.

Then it is time to start my chores, which I now look at as rituals rather than something to rush through. I turn on some music and pull out the beautiful notebook I use just for planning our meals for the week. I think about our favorite dinners and enjoy choosing which ones will nourish us in the coming days. As the music continues to play, I tidy up each room a little, thankful that this is something we stay on top of each day, so there’s not much to do.

Before heading to the grocery store, I strip the bed and put its linens in the washing machine. I finish my trip to the store in the floral section, carefully choosing which bouquet I’ll be dividing up to spread around the house that week, making sure there are enough to put some in each room. I reward myself for getting through my to-do list by heading to a coffee shop or the local brewery for a solo reading date and to work in my reading journal.

Evening is reserved for softness: a delicious dinner, a long shower, fresh pajamas, maybe a favorite movie or TV show we’ve seen a hundred times. And then we head to our freshly made bed to read until our eyes get heavy before turning off the lights.

I don’t try to “beat” the Sunday Scaries anymore. Instead, I meet them with softness. With intention. I let Sunday be less about doing and more about being. Because the truth is, Mondays will always come. But how I welcome them is entirely up to me. And when I fill my Sundays with calm, I no longer step into the week feeling behind — I step into it already whole.

Discover ways to romanticize your life with our upcoming special release A Romanticized Life Issue 1.