Start the week right – survive Sunday night blues

You’ve had a great weekend. Seen the people you care about. Done the things that make you smile. Cracked those errands and chores. Then it hits you. Tomorrow, you need to get up and go to work. Rather than enjoying your dinner, your mind is racing ahead preparing for that important meeting or reviewing your to-do list or re-planning your week to ensure you hit that deadline. That nagging sense of “here we go again” begins to sink in.

Welcome to Sunday night blues.

There is an alternative.

Welcome to Sunday night highs.

Whilst building your career or life change, it is likely you need to keep working in your current role. This enables you to cover the basics (roof over your head, repayments, food on the table and so on) and gives you a platform to grow from – regardless of whether you intend to seek a promotion, switch career paths or leap into a different lifestyle.

Here’s how to get your Sunday night highs:

1. Eat a light meal – no heavy carbs or drab leftovers. Make a fuss about your evening meal.
2. Get outside – walk round your neighbourhood. Aim for a brisk pace to bring out those endorphines
3. Hydrate well – we’re 80%+ water, start the week topped up
4. Practice a little mindfulness – bring a little calm and quiet to your headspace. (I like headspace and GPS4Soul apps)
5. Focus on your why – revisit your change plans, inspirations and motivations. Simon Sinek says defining your golden circle of why, how, what can shape your approach to every day, activity and mindset. Inside out: start with why, not what.
6. Download your thinking – grab a pen and paper, post-it, notebook and get it out of your head. Brain writing or journalling frees you from trying to remember everything
7. Laugh out loud – comedy night or funny movie, laughing reoxygenates your body and mind as well as releasing happy hormones
8. Get touchy feely – physical touch is a natural relaxer, so hug, hold hands, get a massage, have sex…. all good.
9. Create midweek happy makers – diarise a favourite meal choice, after work drinks, a skill swap with a friend, something fun.
10. Remove midweek stress makers – plan your wardrobe choices, polish your shoes, pack your bag, find your travel card, iron those shirts.
11. Crank it up – dance and sing you way out of your funk. Bored of your music? I love Spotify’s “browse” and “discover” options to find new music, playlists and artists.
12. Get crafty – bake bread, knit a snood, paint or draw. Occupy your mind with a creative release. (PS Amazon has loads of these)
13. Write a Gratitude list – contemplating what you have and treasure and use this each morning to focus your mind on the good stuff.
14. Indulge your sense of smell – lavender and vanilla both soothe your mind, whilst zesty citrus oils are uplifting and positive smells. Add to a bath, light a scented candle or flavour a meal with these to change your mood.
15. Declutter a cubby hole – bin, recycle, repair, gift or tidy a messy area in your home. These simple acts also clear the mind.
16. Find a clifftop – shout it out…..if you’re landlocked, play this as a video in your head….bonus points for creative language!
17. Read a book – settle down with a brew and a good read before lights off
18. Avoid blue light – switch off your devices, no sneaky emails or social media check-ins. Enjoy a mini tech detox.
19. Do something for someone else – volunteering, formally or informally, is a great way to lift your heart and get that feel good feeling.
20. Connect with someone important to you – I like to call my mum on Sunday evenings, hearing about her week, my Dad’s retirement plans, how my nan, aunts and uncles are helps me feel like I’m part of their lives, despite the distance.

If none of these work, perhaps it is now time to rethink your goals, explore your values and find your purpose. Stretch your life. Become a lifechanger or careerchanger. Want a hand? Download these and see where your thinking goes:

I’d love to hear how the downloads, links and suggestions help you shift your Sunday night blues.What do you do to make your Sunday night highs? Share your tactics below and inspire us.