🧘 While most people dread Sundays, I look forward to them.

For me, Sundays are the secret to loving Mondays. They’re not about anxiety and last-minute scrambling—they’re about resetting, refueling, and preparing for a week where I feel aligned, not overwhelmed.

If you're stuck in the cycle of Sunday Scaries, let me share how I turned my Sundays into a ritual of intentional self-care and weekly prep. The goal? Start Monday feeling refreshed and ready to take on the week.  Let your Sundays set the tone for your week so you kick off your week feel refreshed and ready! 

🧖♀️ Step 1: Sundays Are for Self-Care First

Before I even think about prepping for the week, I focus on me. Because here's the truth: you can't pour from an empty cup, and you definitely can’t meal prep from one either.

My Self-Care Sunday Ritual:

• Yoga class (or a walk outside if I want something slower)
• Unplugged me-time — reading by the pool, watching garbage TV, journaling, or literally doing nothing
• Skin therapy — red light therapy mask, a good face mask, and whatever self-care feels right for that day

The key here? It’s whatever I want. Self-care isn’t a to-do list—it’s about giving yourself what you need to reset and recharge.  Yesterday I skipped all workouts and just sat in the sauna at the gym for 20 minutes because that's what I felt like doing! 

🥗 Step 2: Weekly Planning Starts with Food

• Once I’ve filled my own cup, it’s time to fill the fridge. Food planning might sound boring, but honestly, it’s the foundation of a smoother week and intentionally eating healthy. When you meal prep, you make good conscious food choices. Here’s what I do every Sunday:
• 📝 Create a meal plan for the week
• 🛒 Order groceries online (I haven’t stepped foot in a grocery store in forever—and I don’t miss it one bit)
• 📦 Once groceries are delivered, I meal prep for the week ahead

Why this works:

I save time, money, and brain power. No “what’s for dinner?” stress at 6:00 pm when we’re running between activities. And honestly? The best part is…

👉 My family knows the plan.
No more “What’s for dinner?” texts from my husband at 5pm. No more blank stares from kids complaining there isn't any food in the house. The plan is made, meals are prepped, and everyone’s on board or not but they are welcome to make themselves something if they don't like what I planned.  I am NOT a short order cook-you don't like it? Great, find something else in the house! 

Decision fatigue is real, especially for moms doing ALL THE THINGS. The more we streamline the little stuff, like meals, the more time and energy we have for what actually matters. (Stay tuned—blog on decision fatigue coming soon!)

This Week’s Meal Prep Highlights:

• 🥒 Dill Pickle Chicken Salad (scroll for the recipe!)
• 🍓 Fruit + cheese snack boxes for grab-and-go
• 🌮 Taco meat, grilled chicken, rice, sweet potatoes and a batch of elote corn salad for DIY southwest bowls
• 🍗 High-protein options I can mix and match all week

✨ Step 3: Gratitude + Visualization: A Powerful Reset

Part of what makes Sundays sacred for me is the time I carve out to just be—to reflect, reset, and get my mind aligned. I take a few quiet minutes to focus on gratitude: what went well last week, what I’m thankful for right now, and what I want to carry forward.

Then, I spend a moment visualizing the week ahead:
✨ What do I want it to feel like?
✨ What energy do I want to bring?
✨ What would make this week a win?

Why it works:
This mental reset is just as important as meal prep or self-care. It’s how I step into the week not just prepared, but powerful—and at peace.

🌟 The Real Secret? Alignment Over Anxiety

By giving myself space to slow down, plan intentionally, and nourish my body on Sunday, I go into Monday excited—not exhausted.

Mondays are one of my favorite days of the week now.

Not because they’re perfect, but because I start them already in alignment—with my priorities, my energy, and my purpose.

🥒 Bonus: The Lazy-Girl Dill Pickle Chicken Salad Recipe

This recipe is messy, flexible, and impossible to mess up—just the way Sunday food should be.

Ingredients:

• 1 rotisserie chicken, pulled and shredded
• 3 large pickle spears (or 6 small ones), chopped
• 5 pieces crispy bacon, crumbled
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Equal parts mayo + Greek yogurt (I eyeball it!)
• Salt + pepper to taste

Optional Power-Ups:

• 🥑 Avocado
• 🥚 Hard-boiled eggs
• 🧀 A scoop of cottage cheese for extra protein and creaminess
• Directions:

Mix everything in a bowl, taste, and adjust. If it needs more tang? Add lemon. Needs more bite? Add a splash of pickle juice. Want more creaminess? Extra Greek yogurt. You seriously can’t go wrong.

❤️ Your Turn: What Could Your Sunday Look Like?

If Sundays have become a pit of dread, maybe it’s time to take them back and make them a day you enjoy! I used to dread meal prepping but now I throw on a podcast or some Taylor Swift and enjoy that time! I'm also known to add in a mimosa or a glass of wine-you know just for fun!! 

Take control of your Sundays and start your week off right by competing these three things (in any order) every Sunday! 

1. Self Care
2. Meal Prep
3. Gratitude & Visualization

You don’t have to do it all, but doing something will change how your week begins—and that might just change everything.