The Sunday Check-In: Build Routines That Actually Work for Your Brain
For many students and adults alike, Sundays bring a familiar mix of motivation and dread. The “Sunday scaries” often push us to make ambitious plans: perfect morning routines, flawless study schedules, or tightly packed calendars meant to “fix” everything in one go. By Wednesday, those routines are often forgotten, leaving people frustrated, ashamed, and back at square one.
The truth is that most people do not fail because they are lazy or incapable. They struggle because they design routines that do not work with how their brain actually functions. At Palm Atlantic Behavioral Health, our coaching approach helps clients replace shame and perfectionism with realistic structures that support and do not fight their unique wiring.
The Trap of Overly Rigid Routines
Rigid routines look good on paper, but real life rarely fits into neat boxes. Over-scheduling every hour of your day can backfire. Unexpected changes, energy dips, or mental health challenges can make those “perfect” plans impossible to follow. The result is often self-criticism: “I should be able to do this.” That cycle of failure and shame only deepens avoidance and procrastination.
Instead, routines should bend, flex, and adapt. A realistic structure is one that balances predictability with breathing room for the unexpected.
Learning How Your Brain Works and Working With It
One of the core goals of coaching is to help people understand their own executive functioning. Maybe you focus better in short bursts rather than long stretches. Maybe transitions are your hardest hurdle, or maybe your brain resists rigid schedules but thrives with visual reminders.
Our coaches at PABH work with students and adults to identify these patterns, then build structures around them. This process is not about fitting you into someone else’s system. It is about creating a system that fits you.
The Sunday Check-In: A Gentle Reset
Instead of starting the week with a mountain of pressure, a Sunday check-in can be a simple 20–30 minute reset:
Review what worked (and what didn’t) last week.
Set two or three realistic priorities for the week ahead.
Organize any assignments, deadlines, or commitments so they feel doable.
Adjust your environment, whether that means clearing your desk, prepping meals, or simply setting reminders.
This small habit creates a rhythm of self-reflection and planning without perfectionism.
Tomorrow’s Free Tool
To make this easier, tomorrow we will be releasing a free Homework Tracking Checklist designed to help students (and adults) keep assignments organized without overwhelming themselves.
Be sure to subscribe or follow us to get access when it drops.