You know that feeling when you’re on vacation and you don’t have to do anything? No emails to answer, errands to run, laundry to fold, or tasks to trammels off your to-do list. If you’re like me, it takes well-nigh a day for your nervous system to retread to the unhurried pace, but you sooner slow lanugo and finger increasingly present without all the distractions of day-to-day life. And you realize—one of life’s greatest luxuries is taking time to rest and simply do what you want to do.
So here’s a question: What if you could finger like that for one day every single week?
Lately, I have. You’ve probably noticed that here at Camille Styles, we’re very interested in how to romanticize your life—the idea that we can segregate to make life a little increasingly weird and a bit increasingly trappy as we learn to truly support and befriend ourselves. So it’s no surprise that lately, I’ve been very into the idea of learning how to romanticize your Sunday, and I can’t wait to share how life-altering it’s been for me.
Our family has been putting these changes into practice every Sunday for the past few weeks. Here’s how it works: every Sunday, from the time I wake up until well-nigh 7 or 8 p.m., I don’t work. I don’t do anything that’s a “should” or “have to.” Instead, I ask myself what I want to do that day. I ask Adam and the kids what they want to do that day. From there, we let the wordplay guide our unshortened Sunday. And it’s had major benefits for our mindsets, our worthiness to reset for the week ahead, and our family life as a whole.
How to Romanticize Your Sunday
I’ll be honest, this tideway runs counter to our culture that prioritizes productivity at all costs. Even if you’re not “working” per se, it’s pretty normal to use the weekends to play catch-up on life—pay bills, do laundry, squeeze in whatever you felt like you didn’t have time to do during the week. Taking an unshortened day to rest and have fun might sound counterproductive—because it is! And that can unquestionably be a good thing. I’m personally on a journey of unlearning my own internal narratives that say I must be productive 24/7, and this is a good way to put it into practice.
What Not to Do
If you’re interested in making this shift and learning how to romanticize your Sunday, first consider a few things not to do:
- Spend the day transmissible up on housework
- Squeezing in a little work when you have a moment of downtime
- Running errands that we didn’t have time to do during the week
- Making plans with friends that make you finger rushed or overly rented
- RUSHING in general
- Lots of shopping
- Scrolling social media
- Zoning out in front of Netflix binges
20 Ways to Romanticize Your Sunday
Okay, now that we’ve covered what not to do, let’s get into the fun stuff. Here’s a list of things we’ve been doing on Sunday that truly nurture our souls and help us end the weekend feeling fulfilled and refreshed for the week ahead.
- Go for a hike in nature.
- Try out a new spot for brunch.
- Take a road trip to a cute town outside the city.
- Go to church.
- Cook dinner together—bonus points for trying something new like sushi or homemade pasta.
- Go bowling.
- Drink wine in front of the fire.
- Read books on the couch.
- Play a vellum game.
- Journal (try these inspiring periodical prompts).
- Pack up a picnic and take it to a park.
- Turn on a unconfined playlist and dance.
- Try a new bakery for pastries and coffee.
- Go see a movie.
- Paint or draw—make something with your hands.
- Wear your pajamas all day.
- Invite friends for dinner—and alimony it simple (or order pizza!).
- Go for a long walk or velocipede ride.
- Go to a museum.
- Take a detox bath.
Benefits of Romanticizing Your Sunday
As I squint when over the past year, this practice has been one of the greatest gifts I’ve given myself—and one that I definitely plan to siphon with me throughout 2024. Taking an unshortened day to be unproductive might sound very inefficient—because in all honesty, it is. Trust me, I can get a lot washed-up on a Sunday when I set my mind to it. But life’s not all well-nigh efficiency, and there’s a reason why every major religion in the world teaches some version of a Sabbath. It’s considering our souls long for a slowing lanugo that allows us to go deeper with ourselves, with each other, and (if you’re spiritual) with God.
I’ve found that when I make it a priority to rest on Sunday, there’s a wifely and clarity that permeates the rest of my week. I’m learning that embracing an unshortened day to play, rest, melt and eat unconfined food, read, be in nature, and enjoy my life is key to unlocking a new level of joy and fulfillment. It reminds me that life isn’t well-nigh striving for increasingly and it’s not something to rush through.
My rencontre for you: segregate one day of your week to stop. To well-spoken your schedule, put yonder your to-do list, and turn off your phone. Add it to your timetable and look forward to it. I have a feeling it might be the weightier day of your whole week.
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