Slowing down on Sundays
Sundays are synonymous for self-care.
It’s almost as if this day serves itself as a magical fountain, a healing elixir for us bruised and battered soldiers who manage to last through the battle for six long and weary days every week.
On Sundays, we like to do things that we like to do in our lives. It’s almost equivalent to treating ourselves to our heart’s content once every week.
Still for most of us, a Sunday goes too fast and ends too soon.
If you think like me, you might agree that somehow there never seems to be enough hours in this special day to get everything done.
And then a sense of drudgery leads us to the next day (which we embrace with half smile on our faces and full hope in our hearts that this (week) too shall pass).
Until we weary soldiers hope to meet the fountain of life again (on a Sunday…)
So, what’s the happiness hack, you may ask.
It’s this: try slowing down your life on Sundays.
Why?
Once you slow down your pace on Sundays, you give yourself a chance to simplify your already complex life for once a week.
And no, slow living won’t make you lose your precious time; it will actually help you gain more of it. It’s just that simple.
You might think, “Sundays are the only day I have for myself. I better make the most of it and get more done.”
The problem with doing ‘more’ on Sundays is the reason why our weekend seems to end too soon.
It is a cliché but it’s true — time flies when the next day of the week is a Monday.
If we slow down our horses on Sundays, we can enjoy the limited luxuries of life for a little longer than usual.
By slowing our pace down, the fountain of joy that greets us on this special day can flow without any rush or a looming anticipation — it will simply be there for us to fill our hearts with relaxation and happiness.
Simplify your Sundays.
Whether you are doing household chores, playing with your kid, running errands, making to-do lists, binge watching on your favourite shows or simply sleeping your socks off — take your sweet time on a Sunday.
Spending ‘more’ time on doing one task might sound counter-intuitive, you may even wonder “Wouldn’t that waste precious time? Time I can use to do so many other things?”
That is exactly is where the problem lies.
We measure our time in the number of things or tasks we do — not in the quality of work done or the fun we have.
This behaviour can be attributed to our primal brain that loves to multi-task to feel ‘busy’ or ‘important’ at all times for six days a week.
Instead of measuring the quality of a Sunday by how many tasks we do or how many people we hang out with — what if we measure our Sundays by how happy, relaxed or contented we feel at the end of the day?
The idea behind living a ‘slow’ life on Sundays is backed by science too — when we pay attention to doing only ‘one’ task at a time, the task feels or seem s more enjoyable and interesting.
Slow, simple living not only has physical but psychological benefits as well.
It’s not the number of things you do on a Sunday that matters, it’s the importance or value of them.
The secret to adding more life to your Sundays is simple– do whatever you like to do, and do it with a sense of unlimited time and space.
Take your time.
Slowing down is good, but it isn’t easy in the beginning.
Every time you slow down, your primal instincts will prompt you to rush. Your brain will start telling you “There’s only one Sunday in a week and you better make the most of it and get more done.”
Ignore that voice in your head.
Remember not to give in to the pressure of your monkey mind. Let it squeal and shout at you.
Just watch your mind and observe it. Do not worry about where the hands of clock are or how many likes you got on your status update.
Simply and slowly, immerse yourself completely in what you are doing.
Imagine if you had nothing but one task to do in the entire day — would you still rush through it in haste or worry?
Forget everything else for a while — the world won’t turn upside down if you take it slow for once.
If you are someone who usually has multiple plans (or people) to choose on a Sunday, slowing down can be a good way to realign your priorities in life.
Living purposefully and slowly won’t hurt your weekend plans — instead it will give you time and clarity to evaluate who deserves your time, attention and energy.
Fight the urge to do many things at once.
On Sundays, promise to yourself to live the ‘slow’ life.
For me, Sundays are sacred (especially because I have been working six days a week since I can remember).
I start my Sundays by doing things that I love the most — sometimes a long morning walk , minutes or hour of uninterrupted music listening, random doodling or sketching, a good breakfast, reading or writing…these tasks vary each week but they all have a deep, deliberate quality to them.
They all have a sense of slowness— which gives these ‘simple’ activities a lot more pleasure and meaning.
It’s almost meditative — when there’s no rush to complete something and everything flows from one thing to another at the right speed.
And that’s exactly why I feel content as the Sunday comes to an end.
This satisfaction carries itself forward as I approach the new week with confidence, clarity and a sense of joy (a feeling induced by a sunday well spent, a feeling we all know).
Slowing down myself on a sunday is the secret to getting more out of every moment on this special day. It is my little (and simple) happiness hack.
After all, a sunday well spent brings a week of content.
If your Sundays are special (as they should be), make every attempt to live them deliberately.
This is probably going to be the only day that you have for your own self — and you will only get a limited number of these in a year, so don’t forget to fill yourself with happiness, relaxation and satisfaction till your inner cup is full!
This doesn’t mean you stop going out and live like a hermit — the idea is to use your time however you want, but use it with a sense of purpose and deliberate slowness.
Allow yourself the rare luxury to live one day with joy that is not bound by the constraints of time.
It’s for you first, before it’s for anyone else.
So, don’t forget to slow down your pace soldier, for the battle can wait for another day and we shall soon meet the fountain of life, on a Sunday!
