A little preparation on Sunday can make the difference between starting Monday already overwhelmed and feeling like you have things somewhat under control.

The idea of a Sunday reset isn't to sacrifice the last day of the weekend to cleaning, cooking and organising. It's about spending a small amount of time getting ahead of the things that tend to create stress during the week. A few simple tasks can mean fewer decisions on Monday morning, less scrambling for dinner on Wednesday and a home that feels a little easier to manage.

Check the week ahead

Start by taking ten minutes to look at your calendar. Check work commitments, school schedules, appointments, activities and anything else happening during the week. Knowing what's coming makes it easier to identify particularly busy days and plan around them.

For families, this is also a good opportunity to make sure everyone knows where they need to be and when. Add anything important to a shared calendar and deal with permission slips, appointments or other details before they become last-minute problems.

Prep for the week, not the month

Meal prep doesn't have to mean spending half of Sunday cooking seven days of food. A little preparation can still save a significant amount of time later.

Wash and chop vegetables, marinate chicken or fish, cook a batch of rice or another grain, portion snacks or prepare something that can double as lunch for the first few days of the week. Even simply deciding what you'll eat for three or four dinners eliminates the nightly question of what to cook.

Give your kitchen a fresh start

While you're in the kitchen, give it a quick reset. Clear out anything that’s expired in the fridge, empty the dishwasher, wipe down the counters and check that the staples you rely on throughout the week are stocked.

You don't need a perfectly organised refrigerator or matching containers. The goal is simply to start Monday with a kitchen that's clean, functional and ready for breakfast, packed lunches and weeknight dinners.

Tackle the laundry

Laundry is another task worth getting ahead of, particularly for households with children. Make sure school uniforms, work clothes, gym kits and anything needed for Monday are clean and ready to go.

You don't necessarily have to tackle every piece of laundry in the house. Prioritise the things everyone will actually need during the first few days of the week. Getting clothes folded and put away on Sunday also eliminates the Monday morning hunt through a basket of clean laundry. Or, you can outsource your laundry to a laundry service for less than you think.

Reset your home

A Sunday reset isn't a deep clean. Instead, spend 20 or 30 minutes putting things back where they belong and dealing with the small messes that have accumulated over the weekend.

Clear the counter tops, put away shoes and bags, empty the bins and tidy the spaces you use most. Focus on the areas that tend to create stress when they're cluttered rather than trying to clean the entire house from top to bottom.

Prepare for Monday morning

Anything you can do on Sunday night to remove a decision from Monday morning is worth doing. Lay out clothes, pack work and school bags, charge phones, tablets and laptops, and make sure keys, wallets and other essentials are where they're supposed to be.

Take a few minutes to write down your priorities for Monday as well. Knowing what needs your attention first allows you to begin the day with some direction instead of immediately trying to remember everything you need to do.

Don't forget yourself

Preparing for the week shouldn't mean spending your entire Sunday doing chores for everyone else. A proper reset should include something that leaves you feeling restored too.

Take a walk, read a few chapters of a book, spend some time outside, have a long shower or simply give yourself an hour without your phone. Whatever you choose, make space for something that feels restful rather than productive.

Finish with an early night

It can be tempting to stretch Sunday evening as long as possible but starting Monday exhausted makes everything else more difficult. Give yourself permission to wind down a little earlier than usual.

Put the phone away, lower the lights and give your mind time to switch off. You may not be able to control everything the week brings but starting it well-rested gives you a much better chance of handling whatever comes your way.

A Sunday reset doesn't need to be perfect or consume the entire day. Choose the habits that make the biggest difference to your household and make them part of your weekly rhythm. The goal isn't to have everything done before Monday arrives, it's simply to make the week ahead feel a little easier.