When I had my own company, I took Thursdays off religiously; it’s unexplainably my favourite day of the week. So working on a Sunday was never really an issue; first because I loved what I did and it was part of my lifestyle but also because I always had a true day off with Thursday.

But as I began to work more and more with larger brands and companies, the mid-week day off eventually stopped and I was supposed to replace it with rest on Sunday. I say that very tongue in cheek because my brain wouldn’t stop working or the work from the week would be so much that it’d carry over. Eventually I ended up working with a company where I was in 42hours of meetings each week, work was done at night and my boss actually requested I work Sunday mornings. Sadly, for a short while, I got into that habit.

When I realized the mental and physical cost to that, I added ‘take Sunday’s off for a year’ to my bucket list. I made valiant attempts – up to eight months at one point – but then I slipped off the wagon when I moved last November to a new place, out of my habits, Sunday night suppers, beach days and new work schedule. And Sunday’s have been anything but restful.

This Sunday is my birthday and I knew I wanted to do something that was on my bucket list. The scariest thing! #75, try the trapeze! And so, this Sunday, I’ll be flying through the air, hoping my fear of heights doesn’t stop me from trying something new. But most of all, I realized, I was hoping that I would have the full day off. From my brain, from work, from email and texts.

Perhaps I’m especially sensitive right now because I’ve been working around the clock until the flu took me out. Going on day 4, like most people who have been sick in bed, I have ants in my pants to get out. Get back to work. Get productive. The doctor keeps telling me to rest, rest, and rest. And I can’t. I literally cannot rest. And friends, insomnia and not resting is not cute at this age. Trust me on this one.

Thinking of this it dawned on me that this Sunday, I can cross one thing off my bucket list with a commitment to cross off a second. It’s time and it’s needed.

So here’s my goal: not open email. period. not friend, not work (opening the first makes it too easy to do it with the second). No working on work files or presentations unless it really does just feel like rest/play (and sometimes it does. I get to do really cool things!). Limit the computer or at least surfing (I don’t have a TV so I consume movies, which I love, on my computer. So 100% no go isn’t realistic). This is not a hard when I’m out and about as I often am but when I’m home at night, sometimes it’s easier to surf than read. A bad habit I need to break because it’ll connect me to someone who works in the field I do which makes me think of something I need to do or email and…!

It’s not super strict, there are no penalties or points instead I’ll try to remind myself when I wake up to ‘take today off’ and go from there. If you’re in need of a Sunday off from whatever you need off from, maybe tag your tweets, instagrams or pins #SundayRest and let others (like me!) know what you’re doing. Maybe we can start encouraging each other to do this – or at least feel ok when we do.