Sunday Survival

Hello !

Hope you’re all having a lovely Tuesday.

When someone says the word Sunday to me, my first thought is of piles of work I have ignored for the past week that I must complete - and for the next day.

And although I have heard that you learn to love Sundays (how…?), I have not quite gotten there yet. To me, Sunday is like a weekend party-crasher. It’s worse than a Monday. All Monday, my thoughts consist of tomorrow’s Tuesday, then Wednesday, etc. But on Sunday, all I can think about is that I'm on the brink of starting a new week.

And I know it’s Tuesday, but due to the atrocities around the world (#prayfortheworld), Brussels is currently on lockdown and therefore I’ve been off school since yesterday. So, my days since then have been very Sunday-esque; work, tea break, work, eat… Which can get VERY boring !

So here it is, my guide to surviving a rainy Sunday (or Tuesday...) Enjoy !

1. Start your day off on a happy note

I promise you will only dread your workload more if you wake up and immediately make a mental list of all the things you have to do. Have a quick, wake me up shower, a cup of tea, maybe read couple chapters of a book. Put your mind at ease before you stress out ! But, quick note, don’t do this for too long, just about 30 minutes. Don’t get into the habit of putting your work to one side for the entire day.

2. Plan out what you have to do

Don’t sit yourself in front of your laptop and tell yourself to crack on straight away. Decide what you’ll get done first, maybe go subject by subject if you want, like a mini schedule. Know what you have to do and when to do it, so your work is organized. This leads me on to…

3. ‘ Reward’ yourself after each chunk of work

This helps me so much when I’ve got tons to do. Don’t do work for hours on end, your brain will die of boredom ! Split up your work into chunks, and after every chunk completed, reward yourself with something small. Maybe a 10 minute YouTube video, a scroll through your Instagram feed, even a biscuit, but nothing that lasts more than 5-10 minutes, so your brain doesn’t shut down work mode.

4. Get rid of any distractions

I’m sure you’ve all been told at some point to put your phone down and get something done - am I right? But this time, DO IT. It’s hard to ‘get in the zone’ if you’re phone keeps pinging with notifications. Put it in another room, and trust me, your work will get done faster.

5. Relax !

Sunday is still part of the weekend ! DO NOT work yourself too hard. If you think you are, make a plan for next weekend (quelle horreur). Space things out over the upcoming week. Relax ! Pamper yourself, get out of the house, watch last night’s X Factor, but STOP WORKING after a while. You’ve done enough. Personally, I like to binge watch Friends or read a good book in sweatpants and fuzzy socks with a cup o’ tea. And finally…

6. Turn off all screens an hour before bed

Now I’m no scientist, but I know that this definitely helps me fall asleep after a day in front of a laptop. It calms my mind down. Instead of scrolling through Facebook, pick up a book or meditate (no, I’m not mad, this actually works). But don’t go from screen to bed in a matter of minutes or you will not fall asleep for an eternity.

So, there you go, a lengthy survival guide to Sundays. Maybe one day we’ll learn to love them, but until them, I’m sticking to the guidebook.

Love,

Niamh x