By Abigail Ofosu
Trinity Time Correspondent

When Trinity Washington University junior Jennifer Kelly-Figueroa stumbled upon “Sunday resets” videos by social media influencers, she realized she was already practicing some form of the routine.

Like other Trinity students who have viewed these influencers on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, the global affairs major has found some of the principles of these methods to be invaluable in organizing her life and preparing for the week ahead.

It’s a way social media is capturing the attention of students at Trinity, helping young people become more structured, efficient and equipped.

A Sunday reset is a combination of cleaning, organizing and self-care to prepare for the week ahead. Influencers create videos of themselves cleaning their rooms or bathrooms, doing laundry, and engaging in activities such as skincare and hair care.

Life for Kelly-Figueroa before discovering Sunday resets felt like living in survival mode.

“I just couldn’t focus in my messy room,” she told Trinity Times, describing her bedroom environment.

Homework was not getting done on time, and Kelly-Figueroa struggled to keep a schedule. She began organizing her space, and eventually discovered the Sunday reset routine, which is now a weekly exercise for her.

The resets have helped Kelly-Figueroa become neater and improve her mental health.

“Not only did it help me with schoolwork,” she said, “but it also helped me mentally. Being in a space where it’s organized makes you more organized.”

It was the same for Trinity sophomore Jimena Amaya, a pre-nursing major.

“I would mostly focus on self-care,” Amaya said, describing her routine as an “everything shower,” during which she exfoliates her skin. Afterward, she feels relaxed and better able to manage her calendar more efficiently.

“For me, it mentally declutters my mind to stay on a schedule,” Amaya said.

With Sunday resets, she has been able to stick to her schedule, complete homework, declutter her room and do her laundry. She said the resets are very helpful.

After the Sunday reset routine, people find themselves calmer, energized and more in control, Kelly-Figueroa said.

Talker Research, a marketing company for brands, agencies and publishers, conducted a survey of people who experienced anxiety, overwhelm and dread. The survey examined the use of reset routines to address the “Sunday Scaries.”

More than 64% of the 2,000 respondents said Sunday resets provide a fresh start to the week.

Sunday resets may also help with “bed rotting,” which refers to spending extended periods in bed watching television or scrolling on a phone.

Bed rotting tends to happen when individuals feel stressed or burned out.

“I get so tired from the week I’ve had and want to be in my bed,” Kelly-Figueroa said. “I’ll bed rot and scroll on TikTok.”

Time management can be a big problem for college students.

“If I don’t get assignments done, then I won’t go out because I have to get them done,” Amaya said.

Trinity Provost Carlota Ocampo, vice president of academic affairs and a neuropsychologist, said Sunday resets are healthy.

“I love that young people have come up with this Sunday reset idea, and I think it’s a really important mental health tool,” Ocampo said.

She said people who participate in these self-care activities can reduce their cognitive load, which refers to the mental effort used by working memory to process information and solve problems.

Activities such as taking a break from studying or going on a nature walk can be important reset tools, Ocampo said.

In addition, she notes the activities promote neurobiological health by supporting the nervous system in reducing stress.

“We’re activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which decommissions all of those activities, and that allows the brain, you know, our neural systems and muscles in our body, to go into a relaxed state,” she said.

The parasympathetic nervous system relaxes the body after periods of stress and danger and helps control the body’s response during rest.

When individuals practice Sunday resets, they are essentially calming their bodies.

According to Lightwork Therapy and Recovery, a mental health treatment center for women, Sunday resets can release endorphins.

Ocampo said the sympathetic nervous system, which controls many automatic functions of the body, activates when people experience high levels of cortisol and anxiety.

That is why a Sunday reset can be helpful, she said.

Getting rest and practicing mindfulness can reduce stress and signal to the body and mind that it is safe to slow down. This can lower stress hormones and release endorphins, Ocampo said.

It’s such a good idea for students, Ocampo envisions Trinity hosting a campus workshop in the future to teach and support Sunday reset practices.

Kelly-Figueroa – with support from Amaya – has encouraged others to find what works best for them.

“Once you find your niche,” she said, “it is the best thing ever.”