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Many people, particularly those living alone, experience what is known as the “Sunday Blues”. After a hectic workweek and a social Friday or Saturday night, Sunday finds many of us alone with the Sunday paper and time on our hands. The workweek looms large over the horizon and many of our friends are traveling to have dinner with their families. If the weather is rainy, our choices seem more limited as few of us want to go for a walk in the park or garden, and most sports games are cancelled. The following are ten fun ideas to do if you find yourself alone on a rainy Sunday.
1. Start a photo album or scrapbook: Inexpensive photo albums or scrapbooks can be found at any dollar store. The first step is to go through all of those old shoeboxes and photo envelopes to organize them into years or events. Then paste them, or secure them in the book. You can add captions and/or dates to make the book flow like a story. This is a great way to not only organize data, but to look back on your life to see where you have been and think about where your life is going.
2. Highlight your hair: Sometimes feeling “blah” can be remedied by a slight change in appearance. If you aren’t into doing something drastic but still want to make heads turn in the office on Monday, try highlighting a few strands of your hair. You can do just the bangs, just the strands that frame your face, or an overall application to create a sunny glow. Highlighting kits are inexpensive and available at any supermarket or pharmacy and come with complete directions.
3. Revise your wardrobe: A rainy Sunday is a great day to try on those clothes that you aren’t sure fit anymore. Make two piles: one with those that no longer fit or are hopelessly outdated to give away or put in storage and one pile of items that still fit and are in style. Look over the usable items for missing buttons or tears that may need mending. While all the clothes are laid out, try on new combinations of tops and bottoms and organize your accessories to go with each outfit. Make a list of any clothing or accessories that you may want to purchase to compliment what you already have. When putting the clothes away, divide clothes into formal, work and casual categories to make it easy for you to get dressed for any occasion.
4. Get on the computer for fun: Tutorials for any of the popular programs are available, and often come with the program itself. Get a cup of coffee and sit back at the computer undisturbed to learn the functions of a program that you don’t have time to play with during your deadline-oriented workday. If there is no program you need or want to learn, surf the net! Check out all the search engines, and look up all the subjects that ever interested you, from Saturn to salad dressing recipes. Make up a screen name and let that alter ego loose in a chat room, if you dare, and converse with a number of people on a variety of subjects, from the serious to the absurd. Be aware though, that hours can go by like minutes when you are online and some swear it is addicting.
5. Browse in bookstore: If you need to get out, don a trench coat, grab your umbrella and head for the nearest bookstore. Some of the superstores serve exotic coffees and have plush reading chairs to make for a total café experience. Look through that bestseller you almost purchased in a hurry on the way home from work last week to see if it is really worth buying. From the number of single people browsing the shelves on any given Sunday, this is a popular solo Sunday activity.
6. Take a hot bath: Most weekdays consist of a quick shower (or two) during the day while on the run. Take advantage of the free Sunday time to take a relaxing hot bath. Plan ahead to have scented bubbles or bath salts to add to the bath. Loofah sponges and pumice stones can be used to soften and exfoliate dead skin. If you have a bath pillow, all the better. Some suggest candles or incense, but as some people tend to drift off in the tub, I would only use candles or incense with caution. Soak as long as you like and dry off with a large, plush towel.
7. Watch old black and white movies: Many of the “classic film” stations run black and white movies on Sunday afternoon. You can find a variety of flicks from Bette Davis drama to the Marx Brothers comedy. A good horror film can add to the atmosphere of a dreary Sunday. All you need is a bowl of popcorn and the remote control.
8. Start a journal: Journaling accomplishes two goals. The first is to provide a written chronology of the events and feelings in your life. It is valuable to look back through the pages of the past to see where you have been. Second, writing in a journal is a cathartic experience and there is something spiritually cleansing about uninterrupted stream of thought writing where you can let your feelings flow.
9. Practice meditation: Get comfortable. Play some New Age music and breathe slowly and deeply, in through the nose and out through your mouth. Don’t try to forcibly stop your thoughts, just acknowledge them and let them float by. Some people find that they relax so thoroughly that they fall asleep. That’s okay, what better time for a catnap than Sunday afternoon while the rain falls gently on the window.
10. Make Sunday dinner for yourself: Don’t just open a can or nuke a packaged meal. Shop in the morning for the ingredients for a superb meal that makes your mouth water to think of it. Pick out a wine or sparkling cider to sip from an elegant glass while cooking. Then spend the afternoon preparing the meal with music in the background. Opera goes well with an Italian meal, and Tejano music fits the bill for Mexican cooking, or just put on a favorite CD. Set the table with fresh flowers and a linen napkin (just for you). Dine by candlelight and savor the meal you created with love. Follow it up with your favorite ice cream or fruit while you are wrapped in a quilt on the couch to make your solo Sunday complete.
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