It seems nearly impossible to avoid the dreaded case of the Mondays. The work-week ahead seems to loom heaviest on Sunday evenings, and that just plain makes me mad. It’s still technically the weekend! I want to enjoy my free time & not have to worry about all the things that will come up in the next week. So, while I still enjoy my weekend, I also begin to work on my Sunday Smile Strategy to make sure I do something productive while also relaxing. Sounds super cheese-tastic, I know. Just trust me on this one.
So, easing some of those stresses during the week sounds like something out of a Disney movie where some type of big purse or blue genie is involved, but it can be done! I wanted to do something for myself on Sunday’s but my personality always looks to the long-term results. How can I make my activity productive. So, I began to take an hour-ish each Sunday to do something that is relaxing but that I knew would bring me that “oh it’s the small things” kind of smile during the busy week ahead. In my hectic, stressful week, it really is always the small things that I will be thankful for the most.
Paint your nails:
This one is so simple it’s silly but always a good idea. It is something that I enjoy sitting down to do for a bit and forces me to just do nothing for an hour or so. Relax & paint your nails. On Monday afternoon about 4:30 p.m. when you have about had enough and you look around then down at the keyboard and catch a glimpse of your gloriously shiny painted sea foam green nails, it will bring at least a little smirk to your face. Smile number 1 accomplished for the week!
Give yourself a facial:
I’ll be absolutely candid on this one, typically I don’t do this too often but decided to give myself one recently because I was feeling one of those awful, painful, deep zits coming on, UGH. I had a sample of Freeman’s Facial Polishing Mask and decided it would at least be entertaining to try it out! I did it. It was fun. I entertained myself with trying a new product & also scaring my dog. Then Tuesday of that week rolled around and I realized that my big bad zit never materialized into anything. Instantaneously I had a HUGE smile on my face. Smile number 2 accomplished for the week!
New recipe:
Try that new recipe out that you have been meaning to make. Cooking is a way for me to relax and also to get a few meals made for me to grab on the go throughout the week. In this particular weekend I made some turkey burger patties that I could grab throughout the week & easily heat up in the microwave. When I come home and know I still have 2 more days of the week left, the last thing I really want to do is make a meal. Because dishes, ugh. So when I know I have something waiting for me to heat up quickly, you can usually catch me smiling the whole drive home. There you have hump day smile number 3.
Create a new cocktail:
Ok so I didn’t really create a “new” cocktail rather I just got resourceful with some fun ingredients I had around my house. Some frozen peach slices paired perfectly with my Pinot Grigio along with fresh strawberries. I just got these cute new wine glasses from Pier 1 (on sale right now, by the way) that I really enjoyed using. Thursday evening after a long day of work and then having a great workout, I recalled my nice little treat from Sunday evening and decided to repeat! Smile number 4 for the week!
Get your iron on:
I’m sure you’ve probably been fighting your mom on this topic for just as long as I have been. Who needs ironing, right? Well, I recently discovered just how obsessed I am with making sure I’m wrinkle-free. Seeing yourself in that happy hour picture with your coworkers at a spur of the moment “business” meeting on Friday afternoon over “ice teas” (that’s code for alcohol in my office) and getting that tiny smirk on your face standing next to the intern in their wrinkly un-ironed shirt. Friday smile number 5 in the books.
Anyone else have anything they do on Sundays to help them relax and maybe then you realize it helps you enjoy your week by having a “oh, it’s the small things” moment?