It’s Sunday evening and out of nowhere comes that uneasy feeling of dread. It starts small, but then as you think about your chaotic week ahead it begins to build, filling your brain with to-dos, appointments, problems to solve and unfinished leftovers from last week. All of these “extras” can impact your capacity to handle your most important priorities – those of yourself and your family.
Think of your computer when you have a dozen or more open tabs. How long does it take for you to find the tab you really need? Or have you ever put off changing the hoses on the washing machine? We all know the damage that can occur if that task is neglected too long. So, getting back to homeostasis (your baseline) can prevent other problems from sabotaging your week.
How can we get things back under control? Well, it starts by regaining control of what you can. Ready to learn how?
Enter the magic of a “Reset.” Webster defines “reset” to mean: “to set, adjust, or restore something to a new or initial state.” It’s really about taking some time to think about what would make your life easier and then putting some things in place (or back in place) to help you glide through the week.
Where are your stress points? Think about the little things that seem to add to the stress of your week. How can you adjust or improve those things? Did you have to search for anything? Forget anything? Were you on time or late? Did you have to make an unscheduled stop at the grocery store for dinner ingredients? Whatever it is that causes you to pivot, see what you can do to prevent it from happening this week.
Our weekly reset process has just 4 steps. Only you can determine what a “reset” looks like for you and your family. It can be as long or as short as necessary and can occur on any day of the week. I like Sundays because my Mondays start with a meeting at 9:30am and I don’t want to be late! I encourage you to find what works for you and your family and make sure your home remains a sanctuary rather than a reflection of the chaos out in the world. Here’s how to start:
Reset Step 1: Review
Take a step back as if you were an outside observer and mentally go through your week. What do you notice? Where are the challenges and what can you do to mitigate them? It’s about the choices you make and when you make them. Think about what will make this week less stressful.
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- What went well last week? Celebrate those wins!
- What didn’t go well last week?
- One thing I can change or improve:
Reset Step 2: Record
Our working memory is designed to hold onto information while we need it. Unfortunately, it can only hold about 7 thoughts at a time. If you try to hold onto more, it may “drop or forget” something else. Using a planner, index card, post it or calendar to keep track of date specific things makes it less likely you will forget something. Digital or physical, doesn’t matter as long as you trust where you noted it.
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- What is important for this week (appointments, deadlines or responsibilities)?
- Add in some self-care time for yourself
- Do you want to decide about meals for the week?
- What are your top 3 priorities for this week?
Reset Step 3: Reclaim
Reclaim your physical spaces. It is not about organizing your entire home. It is about looking at the areas that you use most often and determining what would make things run smoother.
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- Reset an area that will make your week run more smoothly (desk, kitchen, laundry)
- Set a timer for 15 minutes and see what you can get done (get the family involved too)
- Focus on progress, not perfection
- Other ideas:
- Clean up the mail
- Clean out your pocketbook, backpack or car, or fill up the gas tank
- Tackle one task that has been bugging you
Reset Step 4: Reboot or Recharge
Lastly, it is important to take care of yourself. As Dr. Phil said, “You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.” Taking time to recharge benefits your health, your sleep, your memory, and resting your brain can increase your focus and enhance your problem solving.
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- What do you need to recharge?
- Take a walk in nature (just 20 minutes can calm and reset your brain)
- Take a nap, or just sit
- Other Ideas:
- Yoga or stretching
- Read
- Music or Dance party
- Go screen free for the day
The Sunday Reset is the first step in setting yourself up for a successful week. When you start from a manageable place, rather than continuing to pile the new week onto last week’s leftovers you save time, energy and brain bandwidth. And that is good for you and your family.
What will it feel like to have more control over your week?