Mid-Week Resets and Self-Care, Part 1

Work, life, living…it’s all hard sometimes.

As I shared in this post and on Instagram, I’ve avoided talking about professional self-care for a long time because it’s just as much of a struggle for me as it is for some of you. Instead of allowing work to defeat me, I started thinking about ways to practice professional self-care. That’s when mid-week resets came to mind!

When I shared my thoughts on mid-week routines on Instagram, so many people messaged me about how they can relate.

What’s annoying about work sometimes is that if we are not careful, jobs can be draining and leave us in a bad mood that is long-lasting and affects us even outside of work hours. I don’t want to spend the weekdays counting down until the weekend. Each day is a blessing and despite the stress from work, I’m determined to find joy in each day.

Just know that we are on this journey together! So for the next few posts, we’ll talk about the ins and outs of mid-week resets.

Let’s get started!

Why do we need a mid-week reset routine?

That’s a good question, but one that is pretty personal. You already know my answer (see above) but the answer might be different for all of us.

Here are some questions for you to think about! If you answer yes to any of them, then yes, you need a mid-week reset routine:

[1] Do you feel defeated, drained, or exhausted toward the middle of the week? Maybe you feel defeated?

[2] Do you find yourself counting down the days to the end of your work week?

[3] Do you find yourself struggling to stay present and not allowing yourself to get sucked into the negativity of the work week?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, welcome to the club! There are donuts in the back.

So what is a mid-week reset?

A mid-week reset is a routine or ritual that helps restore balance, peace, and control over our lives to avoid burnout and live in the present. The goal is to thrive during the work week; to control our mood and energy so we can live life fully and not allow a job to negatively affect our lives. Throughout this series, we’ll talk about cultivating a mid-week reset routine by looking at our needs, brainstorming habits and practices, and implementing routines and checks and balances for those routines.

What’s next?

Grab your planner or notebook! It’s time to write.

Consider the timing of your mid-week reset routine

Take a few moments to think about when you want to practice a mid-week reset routine. Do you start to feel down in the middle of your work week (like Wednesday)? Would you prefer to practice these habits at night or in the morning? (As an FYI, just know that when we reference the work week, you’ll see references to a 9-5 on Monday thru Friday. Whether you work 9-5 or an 11-7 on Tuesday thru Sunday, the same principles apply!)

The day you choose might differ. I like to practice mid-week reset on Wednesdays, either in the morning or at night. The routine can help me shake off any negativity from the previous work days and set the tone for the end of the work week.

Take inventory of your needs

Also, take an inventory of your mid-week needs. What do you need emotionally, physically, etc. during the week that will help you feel refreshed? Do you need some practical self-care (like spot-cleaning your room or kitchen)? Do you need a relaxing physical activity, such as yoga or meditation? Maybe you’ll start work later on your reset days so you can spend extra time in the morning journaling and listening to music.

It may be helpful to revisit this step a few times as well! Our needs change over time, of course, but what we need one week might be very different from what we need the next week. As we build our list of habits and cultivate routines, it’ll be important to pick a wide spectrum of habits that can address an array of needs.

Consider how to be intentional about your routine

It’s important to be intentional about your routines. You can set a goal to practice self-care at the end of the work day on a Wednesday. But without intentional steps to ensure you are achieving your goal and practicing self-care, your goal might as well be a wish! So brainstorm a few ways you can be intentional about your mid-week reset routine. Do you need a weekly check-in or an accountability partner? Will weekly phone alerts help you remember to practice your full routine?

The hardest part about changing your habits is first realizing the problem. But the next barrier for sure is how to implement and be consistent with your habits. Pick one to three ways you can be intentional about your habits and interchange them as needed.

In the next part of the series, we’ll dive deeper into building your mid-week routine by using examples and hypothetical situations. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, let’s talk about the timing of your mid-week reset routine. When do you want to practice a mid-week reset routine?