The Ultimate Self-Care Sunday Routine, from AM to PM

by Amy Cai

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Ah, Sundays. The day that always welcomes a certain level of dread over the inevitable arrival of Monday.

At the worst of times, I find it easy to overindulge on a lazy Sunday – waking up late, sleeping late and wasting the day by scrolling on TikTok. But as much as these activities might give me relief in the moment, they also end up depleting my dopamine levels, tiring me out and I always end up feeling even more miserable on Monday.

I’ve learnt in recent years that a slow Sunday shouldn’t be a day you write off. It should be a day spent on yourself to reset and rejuvenate.

Here is the ultimate self-care guide I’ve built to make your Sundays re-energizing and help you reset for the new week ahead.

Daytime

1. Spend time outdoors during the day

Go for a walk and enjoy the sun.

This will not only give you a healthy boost of serotonin, but getting out of the house will also help you feel like you made something of your day, and the weekend didn’t just fly by.

In the summer, my favorite outdoor thing to do is walking along the Chicago Riverwalk, admiring the beautiful architecture and watching the boats travel along the river.

2.Catch up with a friend

Sundays are a good occasion to spend quality time reconnecting with a friend.

Catch up with them over a coffee, brunch or even a picnic – an activity that is laidback and doesn’t require as much energy as a house party or dinner at a fancy restaurant.

You can use this time to have a meaningful conversation with your friend about topics you can’t really touch on while socializing in a group.

3. Clean your home space

The perfect way to spend a slow Sunday productively is doing chores that leave the home feeling clean and ready to welcome in a new week. There is also something extremely satisfying about purging out the clutter.

- Wash your bedsheets. There’s nothing more relaxing than jumping into a bed with fresh sheets at night.
- Do your laundry. Give yourself a clean wardrobe for the week.
- Clean out your closet. Clear out the clothes that you no longer wear and pack them into bags to drop off at your local donation center.
- Declutter your beauty cabinet. Yes, beauty products do expire. Throw out the products that don’t work, the impulse purchases that have been collecting dust,
- Clean your fridge. Throw out any food that has expired, or leftovers that have sat in your fridge for too long.

4. Purchase your groceries for the week

On Sundays, I like to purchase healthy foods that I’ll be eating everyday – bread and eggs for breakfasts, and yoghurt and berries for a light snack during the day. This sets me up for the rest of the week, so I don’t need to worry too much about stocking up my fridge in between a busy weekday schedule.

Sunday is also a good time to think about the meals you want to cook in the coming week. If you’re into meal prepping, this is a great opportunity to purchase all the ingredients you need to bulk cook.

You also don’t have to plan out every meal – start by jotting down one or two recipe ideas and getting the ingredients for those, so you’re set up for the start of your week. I do this often when I want the flexibility of deciding what to eat each day.

5. Catch up on life admin

Sunday is the day to do the tasks you may have been putting off.

- Reply to friends. Answer the messages from people you have left on read.
- Pay your bills. I have a recurring reminder to pay off my credit card balance every week. I also check on any other outstanding bills or recurring subscriptions I have.
- Organize any returns. Get your return packages ready for drop off.
- Declutter your inbox. Unsubscribe from any brands or sites that you no longer follow. Cull the promotional emails that have long expired. Reply back to any emails you’ve been putting off.

Night-time

1. Turn down the lights

Get yourself in the mood for a cozy, sleepy night by switching to warm, ambient light. Avoid staring at excessive blue light, which can keep you awake.

If you don’t have any ambient lights, light up a candle instead. You could also use a secondary light source by turning on the lights in a different room or bathroom, while keeping the lights in your immediate space off.

2. Social media blackout

I have a ‘Do Not Disturb’ setting on my phone that turns off all notifications from 8pm onwards on Sunday nights.

Try another activity instead:

- Read a book. There are very few things as comforting as curling up on the couch with a good book. I’m a big fiction book lover, but I also like to read motivational non-fiction books on Sundays when I’m feeling a bit introspective.
- Watch a feel-good movie. I’m a big fan of light-hearted romantic comedies that put me in a good mood right before bedtime.
- Play some music. I love to put on a chill, melodic house music playlist with the likes of Rufus Du Sol, Ben Bohmer, Lane 8. Something uplifting and not too bass-heavy that won’t cause me to stay up for hours.
- Meal prep. I love to take my time cooking one large pot of chicken curry, which will last me several meals throughout the week. It’s a very simple cook that can take several hours, making it a great meal to cook on a slow Sunday. Put on some music on in the background and you’ve got yourself a productive yet relaxing cooking session.

3. Journal about your week, and reflect on the new week ahead

Take 15 minutes to reflect on how your week has been.

Write down any wins or learning – remind yourself of the progress you’ve made. Jot down a few things you’re looking forward to in the coming week.

This reflective exercise will put you in a more positive mindset where you’re looking forward to the week ahead, rather than dreading it.

4. Take a bath

Soaking in hot water is a great way to relax your muscles and wind down for bedtime.

- Clean your body beforehand. In particular, exfoliate your skin to get rid of dead skin cells that prevent your skin from properly absorbing any mineral properties in your bath.
- Add in bath salts. Epsom salt in particular is great for relieving muscle soreness and ridding your body of toxins and inflammation. Some even use an Epsom salt soak to reduce athlete’s foot.
- Add in essential oils. A few drops of lavender oil can put you in the mood for sleep, especially as the steam from your bath helps to open up your airways.

5. Wash your hair

Here are a few things to add to your hair wash routine:

- Shampoo your hair twice. The water in the States is very hard, soI have been double-shampooing my hair in each hair wash ever since moving here, to make sure that I’m properly washing out all the build-up in my hair. For added cleansing, I also use a detox shampoo.
- Use a scalp massager. Thoroughly massaging the shampoo into my scalp before rinsing has probably made the single greatest difference to my hair care. It feels amazing to massage my head, but also after coming out of the shower, the back of my head feels so light and clean. I really hadn’t known what clean hair really felt like till I started massaging my scalp.
- Use a hair mask or hair treatment. Once your hair is glisteningly clean, apply a nourishing product to your ends. Leave it in for some time before you wash it off, so the product properly penetrates your hair. This is an extra step on top of using a conditioner that can help to nourish your hair and prevent split ends.
- Dry and style your hair. Don’t go to bed with wet hair, as this will cause hair damage. Make sure your hair is dried and styled for Monday. In a moment of weakness, I bought myself the Dyson Airwrap styler on Black Friday and have been using it religiously after every hair wash ever since. My styling routine largely consists of me using the thinnest barrels to create tight curls. After a night’s sleep, they drop to a really beautiful, bouncy look that slowly loosens up throughout the week until my next hair wash.

6. Take your time with a full skincare routine

Slow Sundays are the perfect nights to take your time on each step in your skincare routine.

Remember to wait a few minutes before applying each layer of product to your skin. This will ensure that each layer of skincare gets properly absorbed into your skin and you’re not just overwhelming your skin with a million products.

- Use a hydrating face mask. Sheet masks are often overlooked in a world of actives and acids, but they help immensely with calming down any inflammations and keeping you hydrated, so you’re not overworking your skin barrier.
- Use a skincare device. I own an LED face mask and a microcurrent device, which I often skip on using during weeknights when I’m in a rush to get to bed. On Sundays, I extend my beauty routine by using both devices.

Enjoy the process of pampering your skin and not having to rush.

7. Go to bed early

This is the most important step to waking up rejuvenated on Monday.

At the end of the day, if you don’t end up sleeping at a reasonable hour, then all of the other steps you took earlier won’t make a difference.

- Don’t use your phone in the lead-up bedtime. You’ve most likely heard this advice before. The blue light from your phone is what keeps you up at night. Charge your phone in a spot that’s out of reach from your bed, so you’re less inclined to check your phone throughout the night.
- Put on some meditative sounds. Set up some Bluetooth speakers in your room. You could put on a sleep music playlist or listen to a sleep podcast. I quite like listening to a guided sleep meditation on Audible, where I set it to automatically turn off after 30 minutes.
- Get intimate with your partner. Sex has been proven to be really effective in helping you fall asleep. It stimulates the release of oxytocin, which leaves you feeling pleasant and relaxed, plus it lowers your stress hormone. If you’re not in the mood for sex, try cuddling with your partner. Cuddling has also been shown to have similar effects in reducing stress and calming you down, so you’re in a relaxed state to welcome sleep.

Self Care