Stop panicking about Monday: What you can learn from the Sunday reset trend

Sunday is traditionally considered a day of rest. Many people use it to sleep in, to spend time with the family – or simply to do nothing. However, an opposite trend can currently be observed in the USA: more and more people are dedicating Sundays to self-optimization and targeted preparation for the coming week. According to a survey, this can noticeably improve mental health – provided the ritual itself doesn’t degenerate into stress.

Proper preparation can reduce stress

As Fast Company reports, there are now over a million videos with the hashtag #sundayreset on the social media platform Tiktok, and Pinterest searches for “Sunday Reset List” have also increased by 65 percent year to date. Specifically, this means a one to three hour routine on the last day off of the week that combines tidying, planning and self-care. The mattress manufacturer Amerisleep surveyed 1,001 Americans about their Sunday rituals. The result: 53 percent of them regularly practice a “Sunday Reset”. The trend is particularly widespread among Gen Z at 56 percent.

The survey also shows concrete mental health benefits: 69 percent of respondents say the ritual lowers their anxiety levels and makes them feel productive, prepared and focused. 46 percent report that it alleviates the so-called “Sunday Scaries” – the uneasy feeling that arises towards the end of the weekend as Monday approaches. In addition, according to the survey, people with a fixed Sunday ritual earn an average of 25,000 euros more per year than people without such preparation for the coming week.

Many are exhausted – and looking for structure

“We often are [am Ende der Woche] so exhausted that our rest looks more like regeneration: sleeping late and lounging around, too tired to do anything else. As a result, we often feel like we’ve wasted the weekend,” Alexis Zahner tells Fast Company. The author and speaker deals intensively with the topics of work-life balance and digital culture. Psychologist Zelana Montminy observes the same phenomenon: “I don’t think people are suddenly more disciplined. I think they’re just overloaded. The week doesn’t actually end anymore. There’s no clear ending point. So Sunday has, in a sense, become a moment in which people try to breathe before everything starts again.”

Lisane Basquiat used to work as a business executive. Today she is the founder and CEO of Shaping Freedom, a personal development organization. She sees the “Sunday Reset” as an effective method against decision fatigue. Everyday questions like “What do I eat?”, “What do I wear?” or “When do I train?” take up valuable mental resources during the week. Dealing with this on Sundays has two advantages, says Basquiat: On the one hand, you prepare for the coming week, and on the other hand, your own needs find enough space in the planning.

The Sunday ritual must not become stressful

Those surveyed cited relaxation (80 percent), light cleaning (76 percent), weekly planning (45 percent) and preparing meals (43 percent) as particularly effective activities. But the survey also shows a downside: one in ten say that the “Sunday Reset” tends to increase their own fears. 43 percent admit that their ritual is less about relaxation and more about preparing for the coming work week. And almost as many report that such content on social media makes them feel like they are “spending Sunday the wrong way”. Basquiat therefore emphasizes that the ritual should not become another item on the to-do list. “Your Sunday ritual is the break between the busy and productive week you just had and the busy week ahead,” she says.