Take your Sundays back with this simple self-care guide. Relax, reset, and start each September week renewed.
But let’s be honest—how often do you actually make Sunday about you? Between prepping for the week, tackling last-minute to-dos, and scrolling through your phone, true relaxation can easily slip away.
It’s time to flip the script and reclaim Sunday as your personal self-care sanctuary. Whether it’s soaking in a bubbly bath, journaling with a warm cup of tea, or hitting “Do Not Disturb” and enjoying the silence, there are endless ways to refresh, recharge, and reset.
Ready to turn your Sundays into the ultimate self-care ritual? Let’s dive into some blissful ideas to help you start the week feeling grounded, energized, and totally unstoppable.
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Sleep in
Okay, sleeping in on a Sunday won’t help you gain back the sleep debt you may have accumulated during the week but it is nice just knowing you can relax and get up when you feel like it. Pamper yourself with an extra one or two hours of a lie-in and allow yourself to melt into the bed.
Take your time and enjoy breakfast
Make yourself a hearty breakfast and don’t rush through the meal. Take your time, savoring every taste and smell. Eatingwell.com has some great breakfast ideas if you are looking for inspiration. Sit down at the table with your family and enjoy the time together.
Get outside
Maybe you have spent most of the week cooped up in an office. Use your Sunday to head outdoors. You could go for a walk in a park, take a hike through the forest, head to the beach, lake, or river. Wherever you decide to go, immerse yourself in your surroundings by paying attention to all the things you see, the colors, the textures, the sounds, and the scents. By spending time in nature, you will feel more invigorated, alive, and refreshed.
Take care of your soul
For some faiths, Sunday is the divinely mandated day of rest and it’s a day that some congregations meet together to worship and refresh their souls. Even if you don’t adhere to a religion that meets on Sunday, you can still take some time out of the day to look after your soul. Read an inspirational message or book, or talk to someone who has a similar belief as you.
Sometimes we are so focused on meeting our external and physical needs, we forget that there is an inner part of us that is longing for some TLC.
Feed your mind
Your brain is a muscle and, like any other muscle in your body, it can either be strengthened with a mental workout or it can become lazy through a lack of exercise. You can give your brain some love by reading a non-fiction book that stirs your intellect or playing a game that causes you to use your grey-matter (there are brain-training and puzzle apps that you can download or do online).
If reading and puzzles aren’t don’t excite you then watch a documentary on TV, YouTube or your favourite TV streaming provider.
Go and visit a museum or art gallery for the afternoon and lose yourself in the exhibits on display.
Get creative
Being creative has a range of benefits other than producing an end product. According to Forbes, spending time in creating has a wide range of health benefits, such as increasing your happiness, improving your immune system, and makes you more intelligent.
Take an hour or two out of your Sunday to allow your creative juices to flow, whether that is building something in your garage, writing, painting, or drawing, or simply reorganizing the interior of your house.
Allow your creativity to be your emotional outlet, by doing so you are improving your mental and emotional well-being.
Spend time with your friends
If you have no family, then take some time out of your Sunday to go and hang out with your friends. By doing so you are in contact with your social support team which helps in increasing your levels of happiness, reduces your stress levels, boosts your self-esteem, and decreases feelings of loneliness and isolation.
The way guys and girls decide to spend time with their buddies is gender-specific. Females may prefer to go to the mall together and look at clothes and accessories. Perhaps the girls would like to meet up at a cafe for a cuppa and a chat.
For the guys, your Sunday may consist of taking time to kick or throw a ball around with your mates at the park. Go for a run or some other physical activity. Or you may want to meet up at the pub or bar for a quiet afternoon drink.
Whatever you decide to do with your friends just enjoy the time together and be thankful that you have companions you can rely on.
Go on a trip
Have you ever just jumped in your car and taken a lazy Sunday drive somewhere. Sadly, Sunday drives are on the decline but that doesn’t mean the idea isn’t dead and buried. Some sites are rooting for its reintroduction as a time for family bonding and boosting mental health.
You don’t have to have a set destination in mind. It’s an exciting time not only for you but for the family as you all head out to explore new horizons. Head out into the countryside and escape the city for the afternoon. If you stumble across a place that offers fruit-picking, stop and have fun plucking the fruit off the trees or bushes.
Pack a picnic and head out into rural seclusion and relax in the surrounds of the country.
Get into your car and allow it to take you somewhere new.
Have a movie marathon
If you just want to kick back at home and chill, that’s okay. Heck, you can stay in your pajamas all day if you want. Grab your snacks, relax into your favorite chair, and binge on movies for the afternoon.
Learn something new
If you enjoy learning, then you could look and see if there are Sunday classes that you could attend. Your local community hall or other public gathering spots may have a list of available classes you may like to try.
Another option is to go online and learn a new skill. The great thing about the internet is that there is an unlimited amount of courses you can take. The downside with online learning is that you don’t have the same level of social interaction with other members of the class or the tutor as you would if you go to a live class. Also, making an effort to get outside gives you a greater commitment than you may have if you were to sit down and watch a video or read content offered through an online class.
Have a relaxing bath
Whether your a guy or a girl, a nice relaxing bath can do wonders to not only your body but to your mind and soul.
The ideal temperature for your bath should be between 32O– 40.5OC (90O – 105O F). Grab your favorite essential oil such as lavender or rose which will help you relax and then (for guys this is optional but don’t think it’s no manly) use some candles for illumination instead of the bathroom light. Chuck on some soft, soothing music and allow your tension and stress to melt away.
Dry yourself off with a nice fluffy towel and then dress in something comfortable and relaxing.
Reflect on the past week
Grab a notebook and think about the past week. The secret is that you can only reflect on the positives! What went right for you this week. What gave you a sense of accomplishment? What made you feel great? Write it all down.
Start with the big things and then start focusing on the smaller things. It could be the way the sales clerk at the shop smiled at you as they handed you back your change. Maybe you noticed something hilarious that others missed. Scribble it down.
Now you have built up positivity and resilience to see you through the next week.
Plan out your week
Grab a cup of coffee or tea and sit down with a sheet of paper (or your weekly planner) and write out what you are wanting to achieve over the next seven days (yes, you can include your Sunday and how you are going to look after yourself). Let your goals not only reflect what you need to do for work but also what you plan to do for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Create a meal plan for each day and record what you will have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That doesn’t mean that you have to strictly rigidly to the plan, but at least you have a guideline to go by.
By having set goals for the week will not only make you more productive but will also reduce your stress levels and boost your confidence as you mark off the tasks you have completed.
Relish your Sunday
Most people see Sunday as their wind-down day. A day to relax and rejuvenate yourself so that you are ready to face the week ahead. Make Sunday your day. Rest and take the time to do things that you enjoy.
Whether you decide to spend the day blobbing out at home or getting outside with your family or friends, let Sunday be your special “self-care” day.
Your body, mind, and soul will thank-you for taking care of them, and you’re setting yourself up for a more successful week.
What does your self-care Sunday look like? Let us know by commenting below.
Checklist
Checklist for how to have a self-care Sunday
- Sleep in
- Take your time and enjoy breakfast
- Get outside
- Take care of your soul
- Feed your mind
- Get creative
- Spend time with your friends
- Go on a trip
- Have a movie marathon
- Learn something new
- Have a relaxing bath
- Reflect on the past week
- Plan out your week
Farah Zeb is a mother of five, including two children with special needs. She shares practical parenting tips and resources to help other families navigate daily challenges and create supportive, nurturing environments.
