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TL;DR: Haven't exercised in a while? Feeling caught up in work? Not taking time for yourself? Your all-or-nothing thinking might say the only way out is to completely change your life. In reality, a sliver of structure and a dose of self-compassion will get you where you want to be. Free download here.
Sunday Strategy Time™️ will transform your week
You might already know this, but ICYMI, I used to be an educator. In my sixth year of teaching, I was training to be a school administrator, lost complete sense of my self-care, and took an unexpected leave of absence for my suffering mental health. I was newly married, high achieving, and... falling apart.
I spent a lot of Sunday nights asking my partner if we should go to the ER because of my chest pains; popping antacids like M&Ms; and convincing myself it was 'normal' [worse, admirable] to live this weekly nightmare.
I look back on myself with a lot more compassion than teacher's guilt. I lacked the tools to prioritize my needs, and worse, worked in an environment that applauded a relentless, masochistic work ethic.
This isn't to gaslight myself. What I experienced was the impact of our society's obsession with work and the abysmal expectations of educators. And also, I couldn't conceptualize what it even looked like to prioritize my health and my peace.
Shortly after leaving education, I started teaching yoga again. One of my favorite classes took place on Sunday mornings at a local brewery. My mission was to remind my students that they [we!] deserved a Sunday without The Scaries.
I’ve talked to you about the pendulum swing [insert link to previous post here] of the all-or-nothing diet thoughts ["I have to earn my treats"] to the all-or-nothing anti-diet thoughts ["if I don't eat the treats, I'm dieting again"].
We may do the same thing with Sundays!:
I need to fix my entire life today and get back on track!
vs.
F*ck it. I never follow a plan anyway. I'll figure it out later.
If you feel like some weeks you're on it and some weeks you're not, well, you might be human 🤪
And also, maybe my soft Sunday Strategy™️ approach could help you out. I mentioned it briefly here [link to other article]; in this post, you get the full breakdown. For my visual learners, you can download + print it here.
I reluctantly shared this approach with my childhood friend and fellow business owner. She's a free spirit, doesn't like to be hemmed in by structure, and is easily repulsed by hard expectations. If I got her seal of approval, it's safe to say this might work for you, too.
Most Sundays for the last 8 years or so, I've applied some version of this Sunday Strategy™️:
Find a place to sit with yourself for 10 minutes or so. Ideally, a comfortable, cozy spot where you can focus. Maybe music, maybe not.
Get a full look at your week ahead via your planning tools [calendars, schedules, planners]. Ask yourself what's coming up this week. Highlight any potholes or possible issues, like a double booking or a need to carpool.
Schedule YOURSELF into your week. This is the most important part! With a clear view of your schedule, you can see, realistically, where you can carve out space for yourself. I ask myself these 4 questions as part of #3:
a. What do I actually need to do? These are your non-negotiables, like work meetings, personal appointments, or that oil change you keep putting off. Put it in your schedule! Other 'negotiables' can go on a list for if you have time or capacity for them. But for the love of yourself, stop making everything feel non-negotiable!
b. What do I want to do for play? Yes, play. You didn't stop needing recess; they just stopped giving it to us!
Call it your play or pleasure time or your rest menu. Whatever you call it, write down a few things you can do this week that feel really good to you. An outside walk break, a morning to sleep in, a self-care appointment, a crafting or coloring session, a phone call with a friend, an episode of a show you love, you choose!
Write it down in your schedule. It's a date. You deserve it. Even one thing is a start!
c. How do I want to move? This is for my people that say they're going to work out 3 times each week and then don't. It's actually not your fault that this happens. My hunch is that if we were more open to a menu of specific options and identified where movement can happen in our schedule, we may be more successful!
Create a menu of what sounds good and what is feasible for you: a 10-minute walk, a few PT exercises, a lunchtime lift, a fitness class you love. Then, identify where in your schedule these options could realistically fit. Incorporate drive time and transitions into your planning!
Write it/them down in your schedule. It's a date, and it's flexible. And yes, again, even one thing is a start!
d. What food sounds good to me? Sometimes I look at my schedule and think the best way I'll be nourished is a cold, pre-prepared pasta salad. Other times, I see a clear opportunity for a breakfast date with myself.
Instead of a long Sunday of meal prepping, what if you wrote a little meal menu for the week? Give yourself options that sound good!
My clients are practiced in the art of knowing their nutrition potholes, like a meeting that will leave little time to prep for lunch or a long period of time in the car that will require snacks.
Write them down where you'll see them [anywhere -- I have a client who literally writes her meal ideas on the fridge with a dry erase marker!]. You're taking work off the plate of Future You, which is extra special self-care shit.
Assess your strategy for confidence. Look at the week ahead you've designed for yourself. On a scale of 1 to 10, how confident are you in being able to follow through? If your answer is less than 8, ask yourself why?
Make adjustments to make your plans both achievable and accessible. This is how we build self-trust: we make plans we feel good about because we meet ourselves where we are.
We're always going to have stress. Some weeks, you have no energy to plan anything at all, and that's real. What could it look like to have a date with yourself each Sunday [or another day that works for you] to strategize for the week ahead, compassionately and curiously?
I look back and think, perhaps if I had read this post in May of 2015, I might have realized how little time I allotted to myself. I'm not sure it would have changed the trajectory of my career change, but I know it would have encouraged me to consider my own needs.
So, consider this paying it forward. I hope it helps 💗
Want to find your confidence and fuel your active appetite?
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