It’s Sunday, late afternoon. I’m sitting in my favorite spot on the couch, reading a book and sipping tea. The laundry is folded and put away. Dinner is made. The kids are playing nicely. The house is quiet. My mind is at peace.
Sounds perfect, right?
That Sunday, for the first time in a long time, truly felt like a sabbath. There was nothing to do except relax. It was glorious!
I wish all Sundays could be like that, but unfortunately, that’s not the reality. Most Sundays, I barely have time to sit down. After church, it’s home to make lunch. Once lunch is over, there is usually some meal prep that needs to happen to get dinner on the table later. There are certainly a few loads of laundry to fold, backpacks to pack, and lunch boxes to fill. The kids might play well together, but there will likely be arguments. And let’s not forget there definitely will be toys scattered from the playroom to the front door, only to be cleaned up later.
That one quiet Sunday I described feels like a unicorn! Will I ever find it again?
I long for Sunday to be a day of rest, a reset for our family as we prepare for the week ahead. I don’t want to fall prey to the “Sunday scaries,” feeling so bogged down and anxious by the day’s tasks that I dread Monday morning. I wish for Sunday truly to be a day of rest and relaxation.
I’m beginning to think of small habits I can develop to try to catch that unicorn that is the quiet Sunday. Here are a few things I’m trying.
- Easy Sunday meals. I am learning that keeping things simple is the way to go. I foresee more crockpot meals or soups in the future. We all know the soup will taste even better on Sunday anyways.
- Start laundry early. I despise doing laundry so much that it is typically my husband’s task. However, to create an environment for a quiet Sunday, I can help my husband by starting the laundry before Sunday or at least encourage him to do it earlier.
- Leave hints that remind me to take a few minutes for myself. I can set my book on the table next to my favorite seat on the couch before leaving for church. I can place my mug and tea on the counter as a reminder to sit for a few minutes. Leaving my nail polish of choice on the bathroom counter might inspire me to paint my nails.
- Continue No Social Media Sunday. It’s been more than a year since I implemented this practice, and it continues to be helpful. Taking a weekly break from Instagram and Facebook clears some mental space and allows me to focus intentionally on what’s in front of me.
- Reimplement family quiet time. When my youngest was taking a daily nap, it was much easier for everyone in the house to take a quiet time. Now that both kids are past the napping stage, it’s a little more challenging to inspire my kids to spend time alone in their rooms, but I think reimplementing this strategy might benefit us all.
With each passing year, it seems the calendar fills up faster and faster. There’s always more to see and do, and it’s too easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of family life, work, hobbies, and our social lives. We all need time to rest and reset. I don’t know if I will find that unicorn Sunday again, but I hope these small actions will accumulate over time and bring more peace and quiet to my life and home.
