As a college student that usually has a minimum of one complete mental breakdown over schoolwork per week, I'm always looking for ways to make my weekday life less hectic and more enjoyable. Unfortunately, I haven't found any magic potions or big red "Easy" buttons to push, but I have found a routine that has honestly changed my life. So here are five things you can do on Sunday to make your week go a lot smoother than what it probably is.
1. Clean
Now, I am by no means a tidy person. My clothes used to never make it to the closet… and like clockwork, every dang morning would start out in a frantic, Amber-alert style hunt for this or that article of clothing. And more than one occasion saw me having to do the sniff test to see if said shirt was clean or dirty (not my finest moment). But I’m here to tell you, us messy people CAN beat this affliction. I will never be someone who cleans every day (except the dishes, just suck it up), but I am now a religious Sunday cleaner. I can honestly say my life is so much easier during the week without watching chores pile higher and higher, until it’s so out of control you consider moving into an entirely new place to avoid tackling them (I mean, at that point, where to even begin is the question).
Having a clean place allows you to be more spontaneous with having people over and less stressed over where to make a space to do some homework. From experience, I know cleaning is dreadful, but just do it. You will thank yourself! And I mean really, do you want ants?
Bonus Tip: If you have a party, enlist the help of friends to clean it up! You can usually even pass non-party chores off when friends are drinking margaritas and blasting some 90’s summer jams (my preferred way to clean).
2. Homework
I always plan on spacing out my homework throughout the weekend, but if I’m being honest, Friday and Saturday usually come and go without so much as a paper outline or chemistry problem being completed. I am the person that has literally waited until the morning of the test to study on more than one occasion, and you know what? It SUCKS! Tests and papers are stressful as it is, but add in a study or die type of panic every other day and life becomes draining. I suggest setting one weekend day out for homework. I know it totally blows to give up a weekend day, but your week-day self will again, thank you profusely for not tempting heart failure from chugging your third trenta latte in two hours in an attempt to learn a month of physics in one morning.
3. Laundry
Sure, this probably goes under the cleaning suggestion, but it’s so important it merits its own mention. The only thing that can make Mondays worse than they always inevitably are is not having any underwear to wear… or having to use the sniff test to see what you can reasonably get away with wearing without being labeled the smelly kid in class. I suggest doing this first thing in the morning so that you even have time to put your clothes away (I'm a dreamer, what can I say?).
4. Grocery Shopping/Food Prep
I personally hate doing this more than anything. I suck at planning meals for the week, but I’ve noticed that I only eat unhealthy food when I’m not prepared. Around noon on Monday, I inevitably become the Snickers drama queen tearing through Deland in search of food if I don’t have a lunch packed… and the only way I have a lunch packed is if I did it the night before. I’ve come to believe the only real appeal of fast food is the “fast” part, at least for me. So bite the bullet, fight the crowd, and head down to the supermarket. This time, it’s your waistline and your wallet that will thank you.
5. Limit Sunday Funday to Brunch
Remember when I said the only thing that can make Mondays worse is not having any underwear to wear? I was wrong: A Monday hangover is the worst. I don’t think anymore needs to be said here. Just keep the drinking, if any, to the daytime.
Although it seems like a lot, once you get into the habit of using Sunday to prep for the week, the time it takes to do everything will be less and less as time goes on. If you are in a roommate situation, I propose tag teaming most of it (unless they are sort of weird, then do your own laundry). I don't get everything done every Sunday, but the weeks that I do are a million times easier. And yours will be too, so get to prepping!
