In short: You don’t need a perfect daily self-care routine. Start with one day a week. Sunday suits most people because it’s already a slower day: sleep a little longer, see people you like, get outside, give yourself an hour of pampering, pick up a book or a creative project, and get ready calmly for the week ahead. Choose two or three of these and leave the rest.
It’s Sunday, late afternoon. The washing is on the line, the fridge is full again, and you’ve answered a few emails “to get ahead”. The weekend is nearly over, and you realise you haven’t done one thing that was just for you. Tomorrow it all starts again.
Self-care has changed a lot over the last few years. It began as a way of encouraging people to do more for themselves, which is a lovely idea. But somewhere along the way it turned into one more thing we feel we ought to do, with the right candles and a flawless routine. If the idea of the perfect self-care routine leaves you feeling a little overwhelmed, take a step back. You don’t have to fit it into every day of your life. Why not begin with one day a week?
Why do self-care on Sunday?
Sunday is already a day of rest for many of us. The shops are quieter, fewer messages come in, and nobody expects an answer before Monday. You’re winding down after the weekend and getting ready for a new week. It’s a natural moment to add a few things that are good for you.
One day a week is also far easier to keep than a daily promise. When your weekdays are full from morning to night, a daily routine can become another reason to feel you’re falling short. A Sunday that belongs partly to you is something you can look forward to all week, and it sends you into Monday rested instead of already tired.
I made a short video about this, you can watch it below.
What does self-care really mean?
It isn’t only bubble baths and face masks, though those are welcome. Self-care is anything that leaves you feeling better afterwards: more rested, calmer, more like yourself. For one person that’s a morning in bed with a book. For another it’s a long walk, a noisy lunch with friends or two quiet hours with a paintbrush.
What you do on Sunday is much the same as what you might do on any other day. The difference is that you set the day aside for it, which matters most when you have very little time for yourself during the week. If you’d like to look at self-care more widely, I’ve written about it in mindful self-care.
Ideas for your Sunday self-care
Here are six things that work well on a Sunday. Take them as a menu and choose what you fancy.
1. Let yourself sleep in
If you never get to sleep in during the week, give yourself this on Sunday at least. Your body and your mind both need the rest. Turn off the alarm, wake up when you wake up, and stay under the covers a little longer with a cup of tea if you feel like it. If lying in very late makes Sunday night difficult, an extra hour is enough to feel the benefit.
2. Go to brunch with friends
Self-care can also mean doing something you enjoy with other people. Ask a few friends to brunch, out somewhere or at your kitchen table with everyone bringing a dish. Good food, laughter and an unhurried conversation do as much for you as an afternoon alone. Friends are part of your health, as I explain in the power of friendship.
3. Head to a park or the beach with your children
Go outside for fresh air and movement. Ride your bikes round the neighbourhood, spend a day at the beach or take a picnic to the park, depending on the season. In winter, wrap up and go for a walk in the woods, then come home to something warm. It’s also a way to enjoy your children without phones and television in between, and they’ll remember these Sundays.
4. Have an hour of pampering
You may not be able to give the whole day to yourself, but you can find an hour. Run a bath, put on a face mask, look after your hands and feet, or lie down with your favourite music. Close the door and tell the household you’re not available. One hour, properly protected, changes the feel of the whole day.
5. Catch up on your reading or a creative project
Sunday is the moment for the things you love and rarely get to. The book on your bedside table that you’ve been reading a page at a time. The knitting, the sketchbook, the photo album, the recipe you’ve wanted to try for months. Doing something with your hands or your imagination, simply for the pleasure of it, rests a tired head better than almost anything.
6. Get ready for the week
Self-care can also mean giving yourself a calm start to Monday. Look at your diary for the week. Decide on a few meals and cook one thing ahead, a pot of soup or a tray of roasted vegetables. Put out your clothes for the morning. Keep it short and pleasant, with the radio on, so it doesn’t turn into a day of chores. You’ll find help with the food side in my questions and answers on meal planning.
How do you keep Sunday from filling up?
A free day fills itself if you let it. A few simple things help:
Decide on Saturday what you’d like from your Sunday. One or two things are enough.
Do the unavoidable jobs on Saturday, or keep them to Sunday morning and then stop.
Tell the people you live with what you’re planning, so your hour of quiet doesn’t come as a surprise.
Leave your phone in another room for part of the day. Work emails can wait until Monday.
Change it with the seasons and with your mood. A Sunday in July and a Sunday in January won’t look the same.
And leave some of the day empty. A whole day off does your mind a great deal of good, as I describe in the power of time off.
What about the rest of the week?
Once your Sunday feels good, you may want to carry a little of it into your weekdays. Do it gently, one small thing at a time: a calmer start to the day, as in the power of a morning routine, or a softer end to it, as in my evening routine for winding down. There’s no hurry. One good Sunday a week is a very good beginning.
I say more about this in the video below.
What are your favourite Sunday self-care activities? Please share them in the comments below.
Frequently asked questions
What if I work on Sundays?
Then choose another day, or half a day. What matters is that one regular slot in your week is yours, and that you protect it. It can be a Wednesday afternoon or a Friday evening just as well.
How much time do I need?
Much less than a whole day. An hour that is truly yours already makes a difference, and even half an hour is worth having. Begin with what you can keep every week and let it grow if you want it to.
How do I do this with a family to look after?
Include them in part of it and keep a small part for yourself. An outing or a meal together can be self-care too. Then agree on an hour when someone else is in charge, or use the quiet time early in the morning or after lunch.
Isn’t it selfish to keep time for myself?
No. When you’ve had time to rest and do something you enjoy, you have more patience and more energy for everyone around you. Looking after yourself is part of looking after the people you love.
What if I end up doing chores all day anyway?
It happens to everyone. Next week, decide your self-care first and give it a time, before the chores fill the day. You can also set a limit for the jobs, such as the morning only, and stop when that time is up.
Would you like some help?
Making room for yourself in a full week, and for the cooking, rest and movement that keep you well, is something we look at in my group programmes in nutrition and health, such as Six Tuesdays in Montignac. If you’d like to hear when the next group opens, write to me at hello@catherinepolet.coach.
Would you rather work one to one? I also coach online. Book a free 20-minute call, and we can talk about what a restful Sunday could look like in your home.
About Catherine
I’m Catherine Polet, a holistic nutrition health coach, yoga and autogenic training teacher for more than 30 years, author and speaker. I help people find a way of eating and living that suits their own body, online in English, French, Spanish and German, and in person in Southwest France.
