7 Feel-Good Things to Do on Sunday That Set the Tone for Your Week
Think joy triggers, ambient routines, and light structure (without rigidity).
You know the feeling. Sunday afternoon hits, and somewhere between the last bite of brunch and that vague guilt about laundry, the low hum of Monday creeps in. For high-achieving women, Sundays often become a battleground between needing rest and wanting to feel prepared. But what if the key to a strong week isn’t productivity—it’s how you feel before it begins?
The truth is, your emotional tone on Sunday shapes your cognitive performance, resilience, and even your ability to lead effectively during the week ahead.¹ Women who anchor themselves in restorative, intention-setting activities before Monday see measurable benefits in clarity, mood, and decision-making.² And no, it doesn’t have to be elaborate. Sometimes the smallest routines create the strongest ripple effects.
Whether you’re decompressing from a chaotic week or gearing up for a major presentation, these feel-good Sunday practices aren’t about doing more—they’re about feeling more like yourself before the world asks you to be everything else.
1. Do One Thing Just for the Joy of It
This isn’t about productivity. This is about chemistry. When you intentionally do something that lights you up—like painting your nails, watching your comfort show, arranging fresh flowers, or taking a scenic walk—you activate your brain’s reward center and reset your stress baseline.³
It’s called dopaminergic priming, and it’s powerful. When you start your week with elevated mood and internal motivation, you’re more likely to engage with challenges rather than avoid them.⁴ And for women in leadership or high-pressure roles, this matters: mood isn’t just a feeling—it’s a performance variable.
Try this:
Create a “Sunday Joy List” of small things that reliably lift your mood.
Choose one to do each week—no multitasking, no guilt, just presence.
Think of it as emotional hydration. You’re not wasting time—you’re replenishing your energy bank.
2. Clear One Small Space That Feels Heavy
You don’t need to deep clean your home to feel like you’re reclaiming control. Just choose one small, visible space that feels chaotic—your desk, your bedside table, the kitchen counter—and spend 10–15 minutes clearing, wiping, and restoring it.
Why does this matter? Research shows that cluttered environments are associated with higher levels of cortisol, especially in women.⁵ Visual noise can trigger mental fatigue, impair focus, and subtly increase anxiety levels throughout the week.⁶ That’s because your brain is constantly processing environmental stimuli, even when you think you’re ignoring it.
The goal isn’t minimalism—it’s emotional spaciousness.
Try this:
Set a timer for 12 minutes.
Pick one small “hot zone” that nags at you every time you see it.
Declutter it with care—wipe the surface, add a candle or something you love.
You’re not just cleaning. You’re clearing mental bandwidth for the week ahead.
3. Reconnect With Your Body (Even Briefly)
You don’t have to do a full yoga flow or hit a workout milestone. Just move in a way that makes you feel present, alive, and embodied—even for ten minutes. Studies consistently show that gentle movement enhances mood, reduces anxiety, and improves sleep quality.⁷ But it also plays a deeper role in emotional regulation.
For high-performing women, it’s easy to get stuck in your head—solving, strategizing, overthinking. Reconnecting with your body on Sundays helps you drop into the present moment and enter the week grounded rather than scattered.
Try this:
Take a walk without your phone.
Stretch slowly in silence or with soft music.
Do a movement that feels nourishing: sway, sway, shake it out, dance in your socks.
Physical presence becomes emotional presence. And emotional presence is what lets you lead, parent, and show up with clarity.
4. Check In With How You’re Actually Feeling
We often rush into planning mode without ever asking: What am I carrying from last week? Emotional residue—frustration, exhaustion, disappointment—can spill into Monday if it’s not acknowledged. That’s why a quick emotional check-in can be more effective than an elaborate planning session.
Self-reflection is linked to increased self-awareness, better emotional regulation, and more effective goal-setting.⁸ But it doesn’t need to be complicated. A few intentional questions can shift your entire orientation toward the week ahead.
Try this:
Ask yourself:
What’s one thing I need to process before I move forward?
What am I proud of from last week?
What do I need more of this week—rest, support, fun, focus?
Write your answers down or speak them out loud while on a walk.
This isn’t about performance. It’s about alignment. And aligned women lead with clarity, not chaos.
5. Create a Tiny Routine That Feels Like Closure
Closure isn’t something that just happens—it’s something we create. If you’ve ever felt like your weekends bleed into your workweek without distinction, it may be because you’re missing a transition point. A closing routine acts like a gentle psychological signal that says: the week has ended, and I’m choosing how the next one begins.
These kinds of routines are proven to help reduce anticipatory stress and increase feelings of control—especially when practiced consistently.⁹ Whether it’s brewing a cup of tea, lighting a candle and journaling for five minutes, or taking a warm shower while listening to your favorite playlist, it’s not about the routine itself—it’s about what it symbolizes.
Try this:
Choose one small act that feels calming and final—something you do only on Sundays.
Anchor it with an intention: I’m releasing what I can’t control. I’m starting fresh.
This is the emotional punctuation mark your week has been missing.
6. Reach Out—Casually
You don’t need to schedule a call or write a novel. But sending a voice note, a meme, or a “thinking of you” text to someone who matters can uplift both of you. Social connection is a core human need and a psychological buffer against stress.¹⁰
Many high-performing women isolate without meaning to—focusing on family, deadlines, or their to-do list while unintentionally letting friendships drift. But warm, low-pressure interactions remind your nervous system that you’re supported. And when that baseline of belonging is activated, your body is better equipped to handle workplace stress.¹¹
Try this:
Think of one person you miss or appreciate.
Send a simple note: “Just thinking of you—no need to reply!”
If it leads to deeper connection, great. If not, the gesture still matters.
This is how emotional fuel gets refilled: one meaningful exchange at a time.
7. Visualize the Vibe—Not Just the Tasks
We’re conditioned to start the week by planning what we have to do. But high-achieving women benefit most from first asking: How do I want to feel this week? Then building around that.
This approach, sometimes called emotional intention-setting, has been linked to higher motivation and improved decision-making.¹² When you start by naming your desired emotional state—calm, focused, joyful—you create a blueprint that helps filter your schedule, commitments, and energy use more effectively.¹³
Try this:
Before opening your calendar, ask: What vibe do I want this week to carry?
Write down 1–2 feeling words.
Then look at your upcoming week and make one micro-adjustment that supports those feelings: delegate, decline, delay, or reframe.
Your emotional tone is not a side effect—it’s a design tool.
Final Thoughts
Resetting on Sunday doesn’t have to mean overhauling your schedule, deep-cleaning your home, or planning every second of your week. In fact, the most effective resets are often the smallest ones—the intentional moments that help you tune back into yourself. These aren’t acts of optimization. They’re acts of care.
For high-performing women especially, Sundays can become more than a catch-up day. They can become a routine of return: a time to recenter, recharge, and choose how you want to show up for the life you’re building—not just the work you’re doing.
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Matias, R., & Ferreira, T. (2020). The effects of clutter on psychological well-being. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 68, 101407.
Saxbe, D. E., & Repetti, R. L. (2010). No place like home: Home tours correlate with daily patterns of mood and cortisol. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(1), 71–81.
Fox, K. R., & Rejeski, W. J. (1989). Physical activity and the psychology of health. Sports Medicine, 7(3), 179–191.
Niemi, R., et al. (2022). Embodiment and executive functioning: Linking physical movement to mental performance. Psychological Science, 33(4), 423–435.
Pennebaker, J. W., & Beall, S. K. (1986). Confronting a traumatic event: Toward an understanding of inhibition and disease. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95(3), 274.
Trapnell, P. D., & Campbell, J. D. (1999). Private self-consciousness and the five-factor model of personality: Distinguishing rumination from reflection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(2), 284–304.
Rituals and emotional transitions: The role of symbolic acts in managing stress. Harvard Business Review, April 2016.
Holt-Lunstad, J., et al. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316.
Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310–357.
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377.
Tamir, M., et al. (2017). The secret to happiness: Feeling good or feeling right? Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 146(10), 1448–1459.
