5 Productive Things to Do for a Good Week

We’ve all heard of the “Sunday Scaries” — a feeling of dread for the week ahead knowing the weekend is almost over. My Sundays are pretty chill (church, brunch, hanging out with the dog and Neal) but there used to be this pang closer to when the sun would set and I would think about the week. I love my job, so it wasn’t that I was nervous or dreading the work week. I don’t live for the weekends, I actually love Mondays and the work week! However, I did sometimes I feel under-prepared. Here are a few things I like to do before a new week begins that are productive and have positive outcomes for your mental health going into a Monday!

Set Intentions Not Goals

I used to make lists of goals and now I just make intentional decisions. If I want to achieve something, I work backward from that main thing and break down the small things I have to intentionally do to get there. I have an overall plan for the week, but I focus in more on the daily to-do list and don’t overwhelm myself with a bunch of stuff. I also make sure to put in priorities of not just *work-related* intentions, but personal ones (i.e. health, family, friends, marriage and spiritual). It’s so easy to get focused on one or two things, but it’s important to think of others. We’re all busy, but you have to make the time and decisions to foster your relationships, mental health and spirit.

Meal Prep

Adulting means figuring out what you’re going to eat half the time (lol). What am I going to fuel my body with? Do you look at food as fuel or just something you have to stick in your mouth so you can continue your day without your stomach grumbling? Honestly, I’ve had troubles being consistent and taking a really good careful look at what I was putting inside mine. Some weeks I just felt so consumed by other things that getting real food inside me was an afterthought which resulted in getting takeout. The meals aren’t just going to magically appear on our plates if we don’t put effort into thinking about them and when you’ve written it all out you can see where you need more nutrients, proteins etc. whereas just going with what you’re craving can result in something like (let’s just order pizza one night, or throw together pasta the next). Not getting the proper nutrition in-take daily can result in health issues and set-backs. Headaches, stomach pains, bad digestion, circulation etc. and that’s not the kind of week I want to have! Neal and I have been making a healthier shift (that we are sticking to) and got back on track with our supplements as well recently. We generally do eat healthy, but there were many times where we just needed something fast and didn’t have time to think about meals or deal with cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. Your health is not something to overlook and it will help you perform and show up better in your life and work. It’s worth the time spent washing the pots and dishes and worth the time to nourish your body. We have to honour it and take care of it, or it will become an issue in our life. Is it hard when you’re running two businesses, yes, but it needs to be done! We sit down and think about what we want to eat for the week (breakfast, lunch and dinner) since we work from home, we cook all of our meals from home! I love finding recipes on YouTube, flipping through cookbooks and making it a fun process with Neal (he is the main chef too, lol). I’ll be doing more “What I Eat In A Day” videos this year on my channel so be sure to subscribe! I find it fun to watch and see what people are cooking up in their daily life (gives me ideas too).

Create a Morning Routine

Having a daily routine (for weekends and weekdays) is so important. Creating this space for myself really helped improve my anxiety. I love that I can look forward to this everyday, it’s a constant in my life and it serves me. I’m someone who needs to fill up with positive thoughts, actions, affirmations and grow in my spiritual life. I have to be on guard with my mind, or else I can fall into patterns of anxiety. I start with feeding the dog, pouring myself tea, doing a few yoga stretches (I usually put one on from YouTube on my tv), read my devotional/bible, set the intention for the day and then I go in to make our breakfast. I leave my phone on airplane mode the entire time and don’t check it until after I’ve done all of the above. Running to your phone in the morning and seeing all the emails and notifications is the easiest way to invite anxiety in your life and not a healthy way to start it off. Wake up an hour earlier and fit this in, tailor it to how you like, you won’t regret it! See my blogpost on the 8 things I do before 8am, here.

Self-Care

I feel prepared and ready to put my best face forward when I’ve taken the time to love on it. Your body needs attention and your skin is your biggest organ! I recently got back into my at-home facial steamer and I had a little pampering session so my skin feels and looks fresh for a new week. I do a mask, then follow up with serums and moisturizers. I also do a full body exfoliation, any hair removal etc. and oil up my body. It feels so good and I’m thankful for putting in that time. Weeks would go by and I would just quickly cleanse my face, throw on some cream and go about my day and then I was wondering why my skin was feeling and looking *blah.* I have to keep up a routine and now I really enjoy the time just doing this for myself. I tend to fall into patterns of neglect and focus in so hard on a project or get distracted that I let these things go in my life. My skin feels cared for and we all know good makeup starts with good skin. I don’t have to wear as much throughout the week and I just feel good! Whether it’s a bath, facial or a little massage, this will really make you feel great. Caring for yourself, your skin and your body is not unproductive! It’s honouring yourself and that shouldn’t be overlooked. When you honour yourself, you honour your boundaries, decisions and can carry on throughout whatever the week throws at you!

Tidy Up

This seems obvious, but staying on top of household chores, laundry etc. can be hard when you have a busy lifestyle. Starting the week off fresh and clean and ending it the same way (I love going into the weekend with a clean place) is really important for your mental space (especially mine). We work from home, so we need to make sure we don’t see the clutter or else our productivity during the week is shot. Not having those chores on my list starting on Monday really makes me feel lighter and more prepared to show up. Taking a few minutes in the morning and evening to make sure counters are clear, things are put away and dishes are washed (not letting things pile up) is an easy solution. I know we have a much better week when everything is neat and tidy!