Beat Procrastination With These 5 Time Tracking Apps

1. Set aside time for prayer or meditation when you wake up

Before you reach for your phone to check the news or your social feeds, take a few seconds to let yourself fully wake up. Once you're feeling more present in your body, say a prayer or find a meditation practice to do for 5-10 minutes. It's a great way to ground yourself while lowering your chance of rushing to get everything done before Monday.

2. Indulge in a longer morning routine

You don't have to tell us that you probably speed through your morning routine during the work week so give yourself permission to go a little slower on Sunday. You can soak in a lavender or eucalyptus epsom salt bath, or spend time exfoliating your body while in the shower. You can also use the new face mask you've been meaning to apply to your face!

Other things you can do are light a yummy smelling candle and listen to a soothing music playlist that makes you feel calm. It's our favorite way to create an at-home spa experience!

3. Begin planning your weekly tasks

This doesn't sound like fun, but having a snapshot of what you need to do during the week helps you stay on a track better than winging it. Something is bound to come up that pushes your tasks back, but you won't feel as rattled when your plans are upheaved.

In your physical or digital planner, block out your potential schedule based on tasks you know are more important than others. This will help you get more things done, making work less stressful.

4. Go grocery shopping so you can meal prep

Meal prepping doesn't have to involve an elaborate plan, especially if you don't like to cook. Think about what you generally like to eat during the week. Let's say you usually drink smoothies in the morning, salads for lunch, and a mediterranean bowl for dinner.

You can create a grocery list that mainly involves produce (i.e. romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, peppers, cucumbers, etc.,) and a lean meat or fish. From there, you can find different salad dressings, toppings, or seasonings that'll help you create several meals based on what's in your cart.

5. Tackle your overflowing laundry

You know the pile of clothes and towels you keep walking by, pretending like they're not there? They're going to irritate you during your busy week so start washing them on Sunday. As much as joke about not liking to fold our clothes once they've been washed and dried, it truly feels good not to have more tasks to focus on after a long work day.

6. Plan your OOTDs (even if you WFH)

We're not asking you to become the world's next influencer by suggesting you should plan your OOTDs on Sunday. It's more of a way to help shake off any anxiety or angst during the week. Even wearing a new cozy rib knit set while you work from home can boost your mood, helping you perform much better at work.

And if you want to snap a picture of what you're wearing to share on Instagram, who are we to stop you?

7. Do something just for you

8. Honestly, take a rest day

You could do a ton of planning to make sure you have a productive week or you can use Sunday as 'do-nothing' day. Brit + Co's entertainment editor Chloe Williams says "I use Sunday as a rest day so the most I'll do are the dishes and check if I have extra meetings on Monday."

9. Go to bed earlier than midnight for once

If being a night owl hasn't made you feel any better come Monday morning, it's time for you to get the kind of rest that makes you feel like you were floating on clouds all night.

Meredith Holser, Brit + Co's affiliate writer says she tries to "resist doomscrolling" aside from focusing on self-care activities we mentioned earlier!

1. Bad Lighting

2. Clutter Everywhere

A cluttered desk equals a cluttered mind, IMO. Reduce the stress that comes with a disorganized and cluttered desk by bringing in shelves and organizers; finding sleek cable-management solutions; and removing any unnecessary items to reduce visual distractions.

3. Uncomfortable Furniture

If you're sitting most of the day, it's so important to invest in a good desk chair. An unsupportive chair or poorly sized desk can be uncomfortable, making it harder to stay focused for long periods of time. Your back will thank you!

4. No Boundaries Between Work and Home

Distractions at home like kids and partners can kill your productivity. Avoid blurring the line between work and home life by designating a private space, separate from high-traffic spaces, for your work hours if you can. Use rugs, curtains, or acoustic panels to reduce noise too.

5. Lack of Storage

I get it, they're not the best-looking pieces in your home, but without proper filing systems you’ll waste time hunting for important documents or supplies. Invest in modern storage options that look good too from Mustard Made and The Container Store.

6. Unoptimized Tech Setup

Slow Internet or outdated tech tools can make you feel totally frustrated and can slow down your productivity. Upgrade your Internet to a faster connection, and refresh your tech gadgets and programs to make sure you work more efficiently.

7. Awkward Desk Placement

Placing your desk in a spot with too much noise, traffic, or distractions — like facing a TV — will guarantee to disrupt your concentration. Find a more zen spot where you can focus on the tasks of the day.

8. Ignoring Ergonomics

Check your monitor height, keyboard positioning, and add a wrist rest so you don't lead to feeling uncomfortable and fatigued, cutting your workday short.

9. Lack of Personalization

A sterile, uninspiring office design does your motivation and creativity no favors. Make work feel less like a chore by adding personal touches through artwork, personal photos, candles, some fresh flowers or plants. Greenery can improve air quality and actually reduce work stress. Add a little snack station for quick energy boosts and keep water handy. Also, your Zoom backgrounds should reflect your personality!

10. No Inspiration

No matter what you do — whether it's a creative work or something more analytical — you want to feel inspired. Personalization can help, but dive into vision boards, books, magazines, quotes that inspire your work and help you bring fresh ideas to your workday. Color psychology can help too: blues and greens encourage focus and reduce stress while pops of yellow or orange can spark creativity! Break out the paint if needed!

Sophia Bush thought Peyton and Lucas leaving 'One Tree Hill' was "really weird."

One Tree Hill season 6 ended after Peyton almost died giving birth to her and Lucas' daughter, and after introducing baby Sawyer to the rest of the crew, they just...drive off into the sunset.

"I don't even remember where they moved. Where did they go?" Bethany Joy Lenz says, to which Robert Buckley replies, "They left in a convertible, so I'm gonna guess maybe the West Coast where it's a bit warmer and less rainy."

But no matter where Peyton and Lucas moved, the One Tree Hill cast can't quite wrap their heads around the fact that, in the story, Brooke literally never hears from Peyton again. "I used to ask, 'Why can't Brooke [Davis] be getting text messages from Peyton? Why can't you see them texting? Like, why am I not getting photo updates of this baby? It feels really weird.'"

And while Lucas returns for an episode in season 9, he was also radio silent for his three-season absence, as was his mom Karen. "Everybody, they just faded off into the distance," Bethany says. "I do wish they had kept that up in some more clear way. I don't think it would have been hard."

While Bethany Joy Lenz think is was because of "personal beef" behind the scenes.

But Bethany theorizes the onscreen confusion boils down to behind-the-scenes drama with creator Mark Schwann, whom the cast accused of sexual harassment in 2017. The women of the show wrote an open letter explaining how “many of us were, to varying degrees, manipulated psychologically and emotionally," and how "more than one of us is still in treatment for post-traumatic stress."

"I think it was some sort of personal beef behind the scenes," Bethany adds in the Drama Queens episode. "He was hoping the audience would just forget about them."

"Which seems so stupid because it's a choice rooted in ego," Sophia adds. "It's like, 'Dude, you wrote those characters, so you knew they were great. So why are we suddenly pretending they're not?'"

Hopefully we'll see all our favorite Tree Hill Ravens return for a One Tree Hill sequel series. While the show hasn't been officially greenlit at Netflix yet, Hilarie Burton exclusively told Brit + Co that everyone involved in the show is "really proud of the work that we did back then too. And so to see the public support this little show we made 20 years later, that's so special and it's so rare."