7 Tiny Rituals to Reset Sundays

Seated on the train to Edinburgh, I peeped outside the window and tried to destress my noisy mind. While watching the grazing sheep, I started tapping the keyboard, and here we go, I came up with this piece on 7 Tiny Rituals to Reset Sundays.

The past week has been incredibly busy; even the 30-minute train halt made me think about the next week. Sipping coffee, I shut down those thoughts and realigned my thinking. As a working woman, I practise some rituals for mental reflection, resetting, and recharging before the upcoming week. These rituals have transformed Sundays into a day of relaxation and preparation, setting a positive tone for the coming days.

1. Are you zoned out? Questions my friend on looking at my still posture during a Sunday, unaware of my love for silence. It all started with a yoga session, which I enrolled in during the CA intermediate exams. Seated comfortably in a ‘Sukasana’ with closed eyes, I pulled myself in. Slowly unfollowing the wavy figures, I started inhaling the peace and exhaling the emotions. With each breathing motion, my nerve tensions calmed. Years have passed, but those moments of stillness remain my favourite.

Find a quiet spot, specifically free from disturbances, sit comfortably and focus on your breath. With the breath we intake, take all the positivity, and as we exhale, release the stress.

2. Screech, Croak and Caw are my all-time favourite words in English. What started as a family custom transformed me into a bird watcher, fan- girl and whatnot. I yearn for those moments when the little one stares sharply, and how it knocks on my window. With every flying mate- from pigeons, kookaburras to cockatoos and goldfinch, I have found unique styles to connect.

Take some time to watch and understand birds. Enjoy those moments when the pecky mate makes eye contact. Regularly change the bird feeder and water bowl, which brings you close to the birds. Enjoy the bird watching mindfully, reflect on the birds’ sounds and feel the beauty of inner silence.

3. Greeting the Grass is my much-loved activity when I visit my father’s native place. Housing the River Kaveri, Trichy offers a refreshed perspective to me while walking on the fields and taking a holy bath. This ritual has many a time elevated the mood and decluttered the mind of baggage.

Take a walk-in a nearby park, riverside or along a beach. If you have a pet, please take it along rather than carrying any digital gadgets. Reflect on the thoughts that surround nature, fresh air, and the sounds it brings. By doing this, you can calm the noisy mind and rejuvenate the inner spirit.

4. Self-care starts on Sunday is the new norm for me. Just like a weekday planning, I look out for ideas like cooking my favourite dish with relaxing music or sipping tea while watching that episode. This selective self-care slows down the nerves and clears the mind. Adding some dosage of art will uplift the experience.

Planning the tasks after self-care enables us to feel organised and reduce anxiety. Make a note on the electronic gadget that catches your attention. Strike off the event once the tasks are over, feeling achieved.

5. Just a bit of banter, and now it is 10 p.m. This was my usual line before going to bed every Sunday night during my childhood. Back then, I came together with my family on a Sunday evening on our house verandah to relax. What starts with close chit-chat becomes a playtime when the neighbours join in. As time and people change, I have aligned this routine in a virtual mode.

Talk to the favourite person about the fond memories, share those pictures that rekindle the events and discuss those moments of laughter. These chats make Sunday reliving, thereby surpassing the stress caused by the past week. Also, we can bring our old ‘us’ back from the talks.

6. Creating fresh space and adding aesthetic items to the home are my preferred activities. This made me keep my eyes and soul open for unique home décor. While re-arranging a bookshelf, I revisit the highlighted points in the book and reflect on the choices I made. Sometimes, these have helped me in making the decisions in future and other times, about those incomplete writing projects.

Choose a small area in your home to declutter and tidy up. It is quite important to remove those unnecessary things. Clearing out the physical clutter will clear the mind and aid us in maintaining a clean home.

7. What to Write? It is one of my blogs that emerged on a Sunday. I have had the habit of journaling since childhood, which includes scribbles, venting out the rage from silly fights to thoughts evolving life. Whenever I do travel, I often end up blogging about the thought that got provoked.

Find a peaceful spot in your home and reflect on the things you're grateful for. Journal those moments that were joyful, stressful, or anything you feel. This practice can change your mood by reflecting on those moments. By writing the overwhelming thoughts, we can transform a lacking mindset to an abundant.

Conclusion

As we come across the tiny rituals that I follow, it is quite important to understand that we should perform these rituals in a relaxed manner and not as a tick-box exercise. Based on the energy levels, doing nothing should also be added as a Sunday ritual to keep our peace and sanity intact. Not to mention, by dedicating time to ourselves through mindful breathing, nature walking, coupled with bird watching, self-care and expressing gratitude, we can set a positive tone for the upcoming days and enhance our overall well-being.