We’ve all experienced the dreaded feeling when the end of the weekend suddenly nears and, boom, it’s Sunday night. You may begin thinking about how much you have on your plate for the upcoming week and the anxious mood known as the “Sunday Scaries” takes over. Here are a few tips to help calm your mind and put those “scaries” to rest [so you can get a good night’s sleep too!].
Start Bullet Journaling
A Bullet Journal [or a “BUJU” or “BUJO” as some affectionately call it] is a productivity system and mindfulness practice all in one. To create a bullet journal, you start by numbering the pages and creating an index. From there you write down ANYTHING from to-do lists to diary reflections, using signifying icons to help distinguish your thoughts. It creates a simple, unified place to track whatever is on your mind. While the process initially takes time, it’s been shown that writing things down that are weighing on you is a good practice to relieve the stress until you’ve arrived at the right time to address it, i.e. Monday Morning!
Meditate
Obvious solution? Maybe, but it’s such an impactful calming tool we had to mention it. However you choose to meditate — maybe it’s through an app, or by help of a video program, or simply a sound machine — meditation is proven time and time again as a successful way to help restore your mind and settle your thoughts. We love apps like Calm and Headspace, and breathing exercises such as the Square Method [Google it if you’re unfamiliar!]. And if you love to Netflix binge, check out the collabs with Headspace, Headspace Guide to Sleep and Headspace Guide to Meditation.
Exercise During the Weekend
Regardless of your workout of choice, getting your heart rate up in some way not only releases those feel-good serotonins, but may also provide you a sense of accomplishment at the end of the weekend. You might even find yourself feeling more motivated to tackle the week ahead. Running, going for a bike ride, yoga in the park, or even just taking your dog for a walk are all simple ways to combat the Scaries. Plus, we could all benefit from heading outside and getting a bit of Vitamin D!
Try Attention Restoration
We hadn’t heard of this one before a bit of recent researching, but it might just be our new favorite technique. Attention Restoration Theory is based on the concept that to retain the mental capacity to focus, the brain has to be forced to shift gears. Which explains why if you’ve been doing something repetitively for a long time, you’ll get a burst of energy if you change tasks. Hanging out at a near by park is a great way to flip the switch in your brain to a different place and allow for the restoration of your focus.
Here’s to a good night’s sleep and an optimistic Monday!
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