3 Women Share The Sunday Funday Activity They Look Forward To All Week

It happens to the best of us: After a wonderful weekend of sleeping in, doing odd jobs around the house (laundry, grocery shopping, decluttering!), and getting in some quality time with your squad, Sunday rolls around and you still haven't done that one activity that's just for you —you know, the activity you look forward to all week that centers you for the busy Monday ahead.

While it’s hard not to feel the pressure of an upcoming work week, there are ways to stop fixating on "Sunday Scaries" and turn your Sunday into a true Funday! The secret to doing so is focusing on the activities that make you feel good — the rituals that are not only fun but also recharge your body and mind. Because when you feel good, you aren’t dreading that important meeting you have this week, or the upcoming blind date you wish you hadn’t agreed to — you’re simply enjoying the moment and replenishing yourself.

To help put the "fun" back in your Sunday Funday, we partnered with CLIF Nut Butter Filled Bars to explore how three women make the most of their final day of the weekend.

Below, three Bustle staffers share the Sunday Funday activity they look forward to all week.

Elly: Putting Up a Fight in the Boxing Ring

For Bustle’s branded fashion editor Elly, Sundays are a time to recharge so she can prepare for a focused week ahead. While more relaxing activities like reading and journaling are her go-to restorative tactics, what really helps her reset is a couple of healthy rounds in the boxing ring.

“Putting on my boxing gloves makes me feel powerful, capable, and in control,” she says. “Picturing the bag as the physical manifestation of all my weekly annoyances — like unreliable public transit and last-minute project deadlines — is a pretty great way to leave my frustrations behind at the gym.”

While her favorite part of a good sweat session is ultimately the end of the workout (endorphins!), Elly feels best when she finally nails a complicated punch combination, complete with the correct footwork patterns.

“It feels good to finally find your rhythm after a few misplaced hits," she says. "It's a constant reminder that pushing through the mistakes leads to the good stuff — better form and sharper precision — the next time around.”

Suzanne: Escaping the City

After spending a large chunk of her week on the notoriously crowded L train between her apartment in Brooklyn and her office in Manhattan, Branded Lifestyle Editor Suzanne takes to the trails on the weekends to find her inner peace among nature.

No matter the setting, Suzanne loves the work of a good hike. After a life-changing trip to the Grand Canyon last January, she’s been hitting the dirt trails as often as possible, mostly in upstate New York.

“I love challenging myself with a hard workout and then being rewarded with beautiful views and fresh mountain air,” she says.

While her favorite hikes like Breakneck Ridge and Bull Hill require a brief train ride, on the weekends when she’s more pressed for time, she resorts to the less technical trails of The Rambles in Central Park. While shorter and sweeter (and more crowded) than the hiking paths of Hudson Valley, the trees and greenery still make for an awesome nature walk.

Regardless of where she forges her path, Suzanne keeps a strict packing list so she can stay fueled, comfortable, and prepared for every adventure. In addition to lots of water, sunscreen, and extra layers, she never leaves home without her daypack stocked with CLIF Nut Butter Filled bars.

“I love protein-packed snacks like CLIF Nut Butter Filled Bars that are easy to throw in my backpack and eat on the go when I need a little boost mid-hike.”

Neelum: Loosening Up at Yoga

As an account manager at Bustle, Neelum is constantly the go-between contact for a variety of different teams. Being the peacekeeper isn’t just stressful, it also requires a ton of back-and-forth communication via email, the phone, and IRL as she organizes and manages intricate, fast-paced campaigns (not to mention often demanding asks).

To brace herself for a chaotic week ahead, Neelum looks forward to her Sunday yoga practice at her go-to studio, New Vibe Yoga. Although a beginner in the discipline, her new weekly ritual helps her unwind, de-stress, and relax her mind before it gets cluttered with endless information come Monday morning.

“There’s no feeling as good as a healthy stretch before the start of a crazy week,” she says. “Some people like their Sunday Funday to be a little more animated, but I revel in the relaxing and energizing poses I’m able to incorporate into my practice.”

Photography, Lauren Perlstein; Hair and Makeup, Ashleigh Ciucci; Wardrobe Styling, Annebet Duvall; Art Direction, Bry Crasch; Production Intern, Gina Bologna

This post is sponsored by CLIF Nut Butter Filled Bars.