Sunday, the designated lazy day, is a staple in human culture. It is dedicated to catching up on television rather than getting a head start on the week’s anticipated responsibilities.

If you’re like me, how you start the week sets the tone for the rest of the days following will go. As much as I love a day off from school or work, at the same time I struggle with adopting and embracing laziness. I cannot just do nothing. I need to accomplish at least one thing off my mental checklist, no matter how small it is, to feel like I have some sort of grasp on the week waiting for me.

The activities on this checklist vary and are picked based on my energy level on that given Sunday. They are not directly related to school, like getting a significant lead on homework assignments and studying (I am not that ambitious, but, hey, it is all about baby steps). Rather, they are little mental warm-up exercises to build me up to the serious, school-first mentality I need to cope with the stress and expectations Monday through Thursday.

In order of difficulty beginning with the easiest task to the most difficult, I recommend you add this to your Sunday routine:

1. Make yourself a cup of coffee or tea right after you wake. This brings you out of bed and gets your veins pumping with a warm wake-up call.
2. Make your bed. Keep yourself from going back into the cocoon. Spread your wings a little and stay outside the covers.
3. Clean off your desk. Every weekend, I run through my room like a tornado, and my desk is always the biggest victim. It becomes a harbor for dirty clothes, garbage and many other items that prevent it from being available to be used for what it is intended for.
4. Make a Spotify playlist that is weirdly specific. Fill it with songs that are perfect for the current weather. Pick songs that will drag you out of the mid-week funk that looms every Wednesday when Friday still feels too far away.
5. Give someone a call from somewhere outside of Charleston or Eastern. My go-to people are my best friend Ryan, who goes to school at Marquette, and my grandpa, who lives in Michigan. Our conversations always put me in a good mood, whether we are telling each other that we miss each other or are sharing news from the previous week.
6. Find somewhere in your residence hall, house or apartment, or on campus, that is new. Bring a book you haven’t finished or one that you love to reread. Conquering a few chapters not only exercises your brain, but it also brings you to a different place mentally and physically.
7. If there is any sorority stereotype that I am the poster child for, it is crafting —paddles, canvases, banners … you name it, I have painted it. I have several quotes saved on my phone that remind me of my loved ones or myself that I choose to paint every week. It is therapeutic and it has a result that looks and feels beautiful.
8. Go on a walk. Embrace the “sun” in Sunday. I usually head towards the downtown square. It is a long enough walk that brings me a taste of different scenery without being too strenuous. If I am feeling really ambitious, I take a longer route and go to Starbucks where I can reward myself with overpriced coffee.
9. Wash your bed sheets. More often than not, I fail to complete the second task on this list and I am tempted to spend all day in bed. By stripping your bed, you strip away the ability to do this and you find yourself with the time to complete another one of these tasks while your sheets are washing and drying. Plus, there is literally nothing better than hopping into a bed at night with fresh sheets. I dare you to challenge me and find something that comes close to this simple joy.
10. Rearrange your room or a room in your house. I typically do this when I am procrastinating and usually, I end up putting the furniture back in its original positions. Although the physical results may not seem impressive, it is an activity that gives you control for the outcome. It is comforting and gets you moving.

By doing one of these 10 things, you can break the drowziness of Sundays with a small activity that is fulfilling on a larger scale than expected.

Carole Hodorowicz is a junior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or cdhodorowicz@eiu.edu.