You Need A Weekly Reset Routine: 7 Ideas For A New Start

Reset routines on social media are oftentimes complicated and intense for no reason. Completing (or even starting on) the little things really add up to help you have a successful week. Making a simple weekly reset checklist is really the unsung hero of stress reduction for the upcoming week.

Some people dedicate their entire Sunday morning or Sunday afternoon to doing loads of laundry, grocery shopping, and meal prep. These various tasks can take your whole day! I’m not about that life.

So I developed a task list that I do on any day of the week where I have more free time and not as many time constraints to help me have a well-thought-out organized week.

Even if you work a traditional 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday schedule, you are in control of when and how you do your weekly reset.

This is my routine but add or omit whatever doesn’t serve you.

This blog post is all about creating a weekly reset routine.

What is a reset routine?

Say you were traveling for a week and get back home and you want to fully settle back in. You would unpack your suitcase, wash your dirty clothes, buy groceries, catch up on emails you missed, and wash your bedding. That’s called a travel reset routine.

Essentially a reset is an investment in your future self and saves you from those frantic, time-consuming scrambles to get things done last minute or when you have no energy.

A weekly reset isn’t just about physical tasks. It’s also a perfect time to take care of your mental – a brain dump if you will. I always feel a sense of peace and keep after my resets.

Here’s a few ideas of specific tasks I to do to prep for a new week:

1.) Brain dump and make a master list of my priorities:

Starting your week on the right foot makes the world of difference especially if you tend to have busy weeks like me. I have a shifting work schedule where I work later hours towards the end of the week. This means before I log off to enjoy my weekend, I spend a few minutes on Friday night to make a massive brain dump and list of everything I want to do for the following week.

I use a simple notepad to do this. I go through and rank the to-do list by priority. I do an ABC method. ‘A’ are things I absolutely have to get done and try to do these things at the beginning of my week. ‘B’ are things I can delegate or can get to later in the week. ‘C’ are non-time-sensitive goals that can be pushed to the next week if need be.

I have a completely different planner routine, but in summary, I will transfer my priorities and tasks into my weekly planner.

The last thing I want to feel is overwhelmed thinking about my upcoming days. Doing this makes everything seem more manageable and can help me better spread out my time.

2.) Refresh your space

I don’t particularly have a great time cleaning lol but over the past year, I learned it doesn’t have to be boring. I’ll vacuum and wash my sheets and bath towels, throw on my headphones, and listen to a podcast, all while wearing a face mask. I don’t do a major deep clean during my weekly resets but I try to get my apartment in a shape where it feels tidy.

For me I have to set aside time to clean, otherwise it would never get done. On days when I have more energy, this can take a couple of hours, but usually, I do this for about 45 minutes. I try to do smaller tasks like taking out the bags in my trash bins and folding my clean clothes. Also, clean your makeup brushes. I’m trying to do this weekly!

Related post: Your best summer morning routine

3.) Look for recipe and meal prep inspiration

Pinterest and TikTok are your friends for whatever dietary preferences you have. If I want to meal plan lunches under $15 for the week, I can easily search for videos on this topic. I tend to search for protein-packed healthy meals that require minimal ingredients.

So that I don’t mindlessly scroll too much during the week, I plan out about 30 minutes just to look up different meal options. This helps me create a grocery list and stick to a budget in the grocery store.

4.) Pull out workout clothes for the week

I’m in my gym girl era. This means I’m oftentimes exercising four days per week. I have outfits depending on what I’m working on for that day.

If I’m doing a cardio-heavy day, I probably wouldn’t wear the same outfit I would to pilates or yoga. By choosing the workout clothes I’ll wear for the week, I feel like that girl lol. It helps me make no excuses and eliminate decision fatigue. Just try it!

5.) Set a word for the week

Many people started adopting a word of the year. For a few years now, I’ve started having a word of the week. It’s a positive strong word that guides me through the week and a reminder of what I should focus on.

When I was going through tough times at work or in my personal life, I would reflect on the previous week and write a word that I wanted to set the tone for a new week at the top of my planner.

A few examples are: Growth, Discipline, Rest, and Balance.

This strengthened not only my emotional health but also my personal development. I felt like I moved through my week more intentionally and with purpose.

6.) Declutter and organize emails and mail

I’m drowning in emails and really need to unsubscribe to so many email lists. For my weekly resets, I’m trying to tackle administrative tasks I tend to put off. Here’s what you can do:

• Make sure you’ve sent all your invoices or any client work or freelance jobs you have. Also, follow up on any unpaid jobs.
• Shred or organize your paper mail and have a dedicated spot for your mail.
• Spend a few minutes responding to emails and trashing the emails that aren’t important.

7.) Charge all electronics and things that need fuel

The worst feeling is getting ready to head out for a run and realizing your headphones are dead.

Look around and charge everything at the same time. This means your Apple watch/Fitbit, kindle, iPad or tablet, laptop, etc.

Also think of other things like watering your plants, filling up your gas tank, and making sure you have enough supplies and pods for your morning cup of coffee or tea.

All of these things make me have a good night’s sleep for some reason. I feel ready to just get up and go.

So whether you are a busy mom, student, or working professional like me just trying to figure it all out, I hope this post gave you some ideas. The beauty of a weekly reset routine is that it can be flexible to fit your needs on a weekly basis. The whole point is to avoid the Sunday scaries! If you have a daunting task or tasks that will take a lot of time, your weekly reset should help you free up blocks of time. The important part is to personalize it to you.

I listen to podcasts where people order online and do a grocery pickup order during their weekly resets. Other people do daily reset where do a little bit of things each day. Whatever you do, I hope this gives you some extra time and that you’re all set up for a productive week!