12 things successful people do on Sunday nights

They plan something fun.

"This idea may be the most important tip," Vanderkam writes. "This extends the weekend and keeps you focused on the fun to come, rather than on Monday morning."

Vanderkam quotes Caitlin Andrews, a librarian, who says her extended family gets together for dinner almost every Sunday, alternating houses. "It takes my mind off any Sunday night blues that might be coming on," Andrews says.

You might also make Sunday a movie or spa night, or you could join a Sunday night bowling league.

They organize and plan for the week ahead.

Some successful people like to look at their calendars on Sunday night and set goals and deadlines for the upcoming week, says career coach Marsha Egan. The trick is to do this without stressing yourself out.

They exercise.

Take a walk, play a game of tennis, or go to a class at the gym, Egan suggests.

Vanderkam writes in her book that reality TV producer Aliza Rosen does hot yoga at 6 p.m. on Sundays. "It's a great way for me to sweat out the toxins of the week and center myself for Monday," Rosen told Vanderkam.

They eat something healthy.

It might be tempting to wind down with a couple of glasses of your favorite Cabernet, but as licensed counselor and Urban Balance CEO Joyce Marter points out in an article for PsychCentral, alcohol is a depressant that will leave you feeling less energized in the morning.

"Instead, make a healthy meal and enjoy with some herbal tea or some seltzer water with lemon," she writes.

They read.

Most successful people read every night before bed, so Sunday-night reading is part of their routines.

They also use this time to catch up on reading that has been neglected.

They return calls, emails, and texts.

Sunday nights often allow us the undivided time to return phone calls from friends or family, and respond to texts or personal emails we didn't have time to get to during the week.

They unplug.

After you finish responding to emails and texts, or returning calls, unplug for a few hours.

Truly successful people do anything but work right before bed, especially on Sunday night, says career expert Michael Kerr. They don't obsessively check their email and they try not to dwell on work-related issues.

They relax.

Take some time Sunday evening to sit back and relax. You need time to recharge your mind and body.

Cohen says when you know that the week ahead will be full, a good night's sleep and a healthy meal are essential. "Fuel for the body and mind."

They volunteer.

"[Another] great way to end the weekend is to volunteer," Vanderkam writes in her book. Nothing will take your mind off any stresses in your life like serving people who are less fortunate, she says. "It's a way to connect with humanity before everyone goes their separate ways for the week."

They reflect.

The dying embers of the weekend can be a good time to take a step back and catalog your feelings, especially if you're dreading Monday. Writing down your thoughts on a piece of paper can help you get to the bottom of what's bugging you, or give you the perspective that things aren't so bad after all.

Either way, the process will provide you with valuable emotional release, University of Texas at Arlington organizational behavior professor James Campbell Quick told The Huffington Post.

"It's a catharsis to get it out on paper ... It's like flushing a toilet: You get it out on paper and you have flushed your system out," Quick says.

They end Sunday on a high note.

"Monday will come regardless of how you feel, so try to engage in positive thinking and reflect on positive experiences before ending your weekend," says Michael Woodward, Ph.D., organizational psychologist and author of "The YOU Plan."