Our weeks can be super stressful and full with work and nonsense. I’m one of those people complaining having too little time and then also being guilty of making too many appointments myself. I have to learn no and I have to slow down. That’s why I try to incorporate at least one day a week with a slow start, not so many appointments and I’m trying not to work. It’s hard, especially if you’re an entrepreneur and free time can easily be filled with new ideas and answering emails, but it’s so important to set boundaries and to enjoy life without the stress of a to-do list. So here are five Slow Sunday ideas I like a lot and what you could try as well!

Slow Sunday ideas

1. Go for a coffee to a place you haven’t been recently.

Maybe you can relate, but I always go to the same places for coffee. And even when I know it’s good, it’s also nice to sometimes try something new. Try not to go to the places you relate to work, so you can fully enjoy drinking coffee and doing nothing on your slow Sunday. On my slow days I’m really trying not to stress myself with work or other expectations, so not going to the places that (un)consciously remind me of work helps a lot.

2. Be a tourist in your hometown

Do you have a museum in your town? Or in a town nearby? Probably you do and probably you haven’t been there that many times. We usually don’t do tourist-like things in our hometown, but it’s actually a lot of fun to do. Going to the museum is one of the things I don’t do a lot, but when I do, I find it very inspirational and relaxing. Another example: here on Groningen we have a high tower on a church which you can climb and even though I live here, I haven’t done it more than two times. But the times I did, it was so relaxing and I love seeing the view on the city. Try to do things you’d do on holidays in other cities, but than in your own hometown.

3. Go for a hike

Hiking is super healthy and good for your body and mind. It helps to relax, to clear the mind, to improve stamina and blood circulation, and so much more. I love to do evening walks with my boyfriend, where we leave the house, just pick a way and walk for at least one hour. We live in a city and don’t have much nature nearby, but it’s still super relaxing. If you do live near to nature, I can imagine this is even better for a hike. On a slow Sunday such a hike will be extremely relaxing. I usually try to walk every day, to relax and to stay fit and it’s one of my favorite things to do on a daily basis. Have you tried walking for 1 to 1,5 hour every day?

4. Read a book you enjoy reading

Sometimes I read books because I want to learn something. Or I read a book ‘because I’ve started it and now I have to finish it’. But then I don’t enjoy reading that much. It feels mandatory and I don’t get lost in the story. On your slow Sunday, try to read a book because you really enjoy it. Not because you think you have to. I like to read thrillers in German, but sometimes I feel I have to read more high-end literate, because I feel like I have to be intellectual or whatsoever. However, I believe reading should be fun, especially if you’re trying to relax. So grab that book you like and get lost in the story!

5. Switch of your phone

This one might be too obvious, but who doesn’t experience stress because of his phone? I think we’ve all been there; feeling overwhelmed by the messages, feeling pressured by the unrealistic perfect lives of social media and being unhappy because of it. What about switching off your phone for a day? You don’t have to answer all the messages immediately. You don’t have to be everywhere all the time. If you miss an event because you switched off your phone, it’s not the end of the world. Image the stress-free and free-time you’d have by not being on your phone for one day a week!

Need more tips? Check out this Slow living self-care guide I made.