The Sunday Sanctuary with Natalie Zfat

A weekly series that profiles the most fabulous, hard-working, 24/7 hustlers, and how they spend their Sundays.

Natalie Zfat is a social media entrepreneur and Forbes Contributor who has partnered with some of the most iconic brands in the world, including Facebook, Samsung, LinkedIn and American Express. Zfat's beloved social media community of 100K+ followers are dreamers, doers and entrepreneurs, from college students to CEOs. This year, WeWork honored Zfat for having “cracked the code of the freelance economy.”

Here’s how Natalie spends her Sunday’s-

Q: What time do you wake up or does the alarm go off ?

A: If you asked me this question ten years ago I would give you a different answer; now that I get older my body is stuck on whatever time I get up on the weekdays which is around 7:45. So, Monday, Thursday, Tuesday, is all the same wakeup time with an alarm around 7:45. Yet, on Sunday without an alarm, it is still 7:45.

Q: What is your morning routine (specifically the first 15)?

A: I try on Sunday to start my day with stretching. Most weekdays, I’m running and jumping out of bed getting to work right to my desk, but on Sunday’s, I love going to a wall in my bedroom and stretch, especially this pregnancy, it's important to get the stretching in. So, a good deep stretch is the first thing on my list. 

Q: What is your Sunday mantra?

A: I love what I do for a living, and I think a lot of people will talk about the “Sunday Scaries” and be a little bit sad on a Sunday, but I feel very lucky I don’t feel that way. My mantra on a Sunday is recharge, and get ready for another great week. Another is doing something for myself that I might not always have time for during the week. 

Q: What’s your go to breakfast/brunch?

A: These days I’m pregnant, so anything in my war path. I just can’t stop eating these days unfortunately.

Q: Do you give yourself any Sunday self-care treatments?

A: These days I don’t take part in luxuries in regards to things like the eyelash extensions, manicures and the Botox. When you’re pregnant, some of that stuff you can’t do, so I’m doing things like working out with my trainer over Zoom. I will give myself a pedicure, getting harder with a growing belly, but I will do that. I’ll do a deep conditioning treatment, you know? If I can squeeze in two of those on a Sunday, it’s a win. 

Q: What song is a good representation of your Sunday?

A: Lately, I’ve been listening on Spotify to this playlist called Calming Instrumental Covers. It’s exactly what it sounds like, its modern pop songs but no lyrics and totally instrumental. I play piano often, and on Sunday's, I’m usually sitting on the piano playing Beatles, and I just bought a Queen songbook. So yes, I love 60-70’s Rock and British Rock specifically, so that’s the playlist on Sunday. 

Q: How has your Sunday routine changed over the years?

A: Yes, it has changed over the past year especially with the lack of leaving the house. I think also just being in Florida for the past year, I have the luxury of great weather every Sunday so we now go for walks and sit outside. I would say it’s changed over the last year, just the mentality of go, go, go and meeting your friend at brunch at noon, and now we’re just more relaxed. 

Q: Do you exercise?

A: I’ll go for a walk. I’m not a big work out person but I’ll do walking or stretching. 

Q: Do you like to spend your Sunday alone or with family/friends?

A: I like to be with my family and friends when it’s safe. Obviously it’s not so easy these days to be as close with family and friends as we used to be, but my husband and I kind of do our own thing now and once in a while see our parents. 

Q: Do you use any apps or products for relaxation?

A: I love the Calm app, and I listen to a lot of music on Spotify like the playlist I mentioned earlier. 

Q: What is your ideal bedtime?

A: I like to be in bed at 10:30, 11, the latest. 

Q: What are some of your favorite Sunday activities?

A: Okay, we talked about self care stuff, walks, and music, but the piano is really my favorite thing. Sunday is the day I sit at the piano the most. We’re expecting our first child, so Sunday has been like getting the nursery ready and reading books about parenting. Sunday has been baby prep, it’s the day we prepare to be parents. 

Q: How do you prepare for the week ahead?

A: I think it’s a lot of the stuff we talked about, taking care of myself and relaxing. I blow dry my hair on Sunday to make sure I’m good to go for the week, and just stuff like that. Just trying to recharge. I don’t do a whole lot of preparation for the week on Sunday, because I try to make it extremely relaxing.