The Student Sunday Reset: How to take your Sundays to the next level

Why the Student Sunday Reset Matters

So it is finally Sunday. You’ve had a pretty busy week and perhaps an even busier weekend… and you didn’t have any time to even think. Or maybe you’ve been chilling at home, scrolling or chatting with friends. You’re thinking about the week ahead (and feeling a little bit scared).  And you think to yourself… How could I spend my Sunday effectively, in a way that makes Mondays (and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays) feel less soul crushing? 

It’s time to build your customized Student Sunday Reset Routine. Keep reading for a tangible, actionable list of steps that help YOU crush your Sundays so they don’t crush you. 

Student Tips for a Productive Week

Step 1: Braindump your to do list

Braindump your entire brain onto a Google Doc or notepad. Every thought, microtask, life admin work, project, long term goal, short term task, assignment…. The point is to get EVERYTHING that’s cluttering your head into one place so you can move forward with less overwhelm and more clarity. Do not hold back- this list might get pretty long!

Step 2: Make Sunday Reset Routine

Now look- what can you do today, on Sunday, to set yourself up for success for the rest of the week? You have a big project due- could you start and make a plan today? You don’t have a meal plan this semester… could you go grocery shopping and spend an hour prepping for the week? You have a lot of assignments left to do… Could you grab a coffee or walk to a nearby coffee shop and tackle that procrastination? 

Make a plan for your Sunday based on what priorities or needs you have identified. Choose a planning system or software that works for you- time blocking on Google Calendar, making a rough to do list on paper, or planning hour by hour on Google Docs. Map out some sort of realistic plan of how Sunday can go so you feel more excited about the arrival of Monday, especially if that was something causing anxiety earlier on. 

Step 3: Take Action + Priotize your student work-life balance

And now it’s time to go out and… do the things! Keep up the momentum and the motivation by building the “Sunday Reset: habit now so you can fall into a comfortable rhythm every week.  

Step 4: Reward yourself with a cafe trip perhaps

Rewarding hard work is always a good idea… And at Lock In A Latte, we believe that locking in with discipline always deserves a latte to go with it. Sunday Resets can also include fun stuff to add some dopamine into your day- perhaps you try a new cafe in your area, plan your week out with a matcha in hand, or even map out some new study spots to visit this week with your friends. 

Concluding Thoughts

The point of a Sunday reset is to reduce the week’s overwhelm by using the day to get the momentum going. As students, it’s common to feel like we’re sinking under the weight of research labs, social life balance, keeping our dorms and apartments clean, and filling our cups up with the joy we get from our hobbies/passion projects. And that is a real, valid feeling- sometimes the pile up of tasks and responsibilities can in fact feel crushing. 

Sunday is the perfect day for some productive rest: doing those admin tasks weighing on your mind, planning your week… so crafting a routine that works for you and your schedule is crucial for a successful week ahead! We cannot avoid stress, but we can take advantage of the strategies out there to reduce it. 

Happy Sunday Resetting (and lock in with a latte!)