Sundays are Meant for Rest and Relaxation

Originally published: 12/06/2020

I was about to head to bed when I realized that this was the last Sunday I wouldn't be doing homework for a while unless I decided to torture myself by returning to school. I will finally finish that bachelor's degree. Then, I will be able to get back to what Sundays are meant for—rest and relaxation.

Growing up in a small fishing village meant knowing that the shops were closed on Sunday. Everything was quiet. This was the day people chose to visit family members they hadn’t seen all week. It involved either the ritual of church, Sunday lunch and visits to see cousins, aunts and grandparents, or joining family gatherings to relax with well-fed, heavy bellies. That to me is what Sundays are meant for: connecting and creating relational bonds in relaxed settings.

With more time on my hands coming up, I am looking forward to doing these things:

Self-care Sunday. I am terrible at caring for myself more than what is necessary. That means I sometimes neglect making the time for a nice long shower along with my weekly skincare routine. I look forward to shaving my legs more than once every 2 months (I barely get hair on my legs and it’s fall, so hopefully you don’t think I’m a complete savage), doing more stretching, and working out in my living room. I don't do gyms. Not before the quarantine and most definitely not now. At home, self-care is in full effect.

Walks. I love being outdoors with my girls. I love nature and so do they. The only time we’re not outside is during storms, and if the temperature dips below 25 degrees. Even though all we get is twenty minutes of outdoor time, it is important to make that time to breathe in some air other than what’s in our home. I can’t wait to get back to that.

Sunday dinners. Before going back to school, I had Sunday dinner more frequently. I enjoyed cooking and baking and having the girls in the kitchen more often with me. It’s science they can eat! I miss that terribly, so I look forward to us making dishes that take more than thirty minutes and delicious desserts for our tea parties.

Detach + Nap. I am looking forward to strictly implementing a no electronic devices for several hours day and spend that time reading and/or napping. Recreational reading never got completed while I was in school, so I am looking forward to starting and finishing many books. I will also make naps a real priority to refresh us.

Party. We love tea parties and dance parties at my house. I want us to tea party it up, and dance like no one is watching, because no one will be. I therefore declare Sundays as dance like it’s 1999 day. I want to increase the joy, laughter, and happiness in my home. So Sunday, here we come.

Share some of your Sunday rituals.

Photo by Alexandra Fuller/Unsplash