It’s Sunday evening, dinner is over and only a few hours stand between you and bedtime. That sense of dread and anxiety you may be feeling? Many have taken to calling it the Sunday Scaries. And while the name may sound cute, the actual feeling can bring down your mood and affect your overall well-being. Not exactly the way you want to start a new week.
But we’re here to help. In this article, learn more about what causes the Sunday Scaries phenomenon and what you can do to get yourself in a better position to take on Monday.
What exactly causes the Sunday Scaries?
In short, the Sunday Scaries are a form of anticipatory anxiety, which is a feeling of dread that forms for an event that has not yet happened. In most cases, we focus on scenarios we can’t predict or control. Within our own homes, we have a better idea of what can happen and how to manage our time. At work, we don’t always have control over the events of the day. The unknown can be a significant source of stress.
There is also the simple fact that we just have a lot of stuff to do: work, family activities, housework, errands, preparing meals, socializing, making time for hobbies and interests, etc. Our days fill up quicker than ever and the weekends allow us more bandwidth to space out obligations and activities, as well as valuable time to rest. As Sunday nights wrap up, anxiety can increase from the realization that we are about to have less time to do everything we want to accomplish.
What do the Sunday Scaries feel like?
We already mentioned the potential feelings of anxiety and dread. But there can be physical manifestations as well, including an upset stomach, restlessness, mood irritability and general uneasiness. This can cause a snowball effect to all aspects of your well-being, including a lack of sleep, reduced appetite and emotional numbness.
How to make Sundays less scary
If you are experiencing that sense of dread on Sunday night, you’re not alone. In a 2018 survey published by LinkedIn, more than 80 percent of Americans go through the Sunday Scaries, including over 90 percent of Millennial and Gen Z workers. Luckily, there are several things you can do to make Sunday nights relaxing again.
Reflect on the cause and brainstorm
First and foremost, reflect on what is triggering the anxiety in the first place. Is it a regular Monday morning meeting? Or maybe you have too much to do on the weekend? Once you have identified the origin points of your stress, you can then begin to brainstorm ways to address it.
When you have some free time, grab a pad of paper and jot down the stress triggers. Then, think about what needs to be addressed, what can wait and things someone can help with. Just the act of working out solutions can help ease anxiety. And even if there are things that can’t be solved, knowing you have people to help or that you have prepared yourself can help ease the mind away from that Sunday Scary feeling.
Give yourself some grace
Sometimes, you begin the weekend with an extensive to-do list and the best of intentions. But then the call of the couch beckons and the next thing you know, you’ve watched half of a TV series season in one sitting. As mentioned before, our bodies can’t function long-term without rest and recovery. And if our bodies and minds are constantly pushed, the strain will eventually catch up to us.
So, the takeaway here is a simple one: don’t be hard on yourself if your weekend ends up being less “productive” than you anticipated. Remember that rest and enjoying activities is also productive: you are giving your body the time it needs to recover and your mental well-being is receiving an important boost. Focus on what you did for yourself rather than the task that didn’t get a checkmark next to it.
Don’t overbook your weekend plans
After the craziness of the workweek, some people see an empty two days and immediately think of how they can be filled. On the surface, this makes sense: many of us have the same days off, so why not take advantage of it? However, setting up consecutive commitments can be exhausting, especially when done against your better judgment.
Meeting a friend for breakfast, shopping with your sibling and going to that exercise class all on the same day might sound fun and not very stressful. But chances are you are going to be exhausted and likely too drained to really use your weekend in a productive and rejuvenating way. And you want to end your Sunday feeling refreshed, not like you just ran a social marathon.
Spread out your tasks
This is similar to the overbooking we just discussed, only instead of social plans, we’re focusing on that do-list of yours. If you try to cram your chores and errands within 48 hours (less, since we all need sleep), then you are going to burn yourself out. You’ll either feel exhausted and unable to enjoy the time or beat yourself up if you don’t get to it all. Neither is a great outcome.
Instead, look at what needs to be done and see if you can spread it out over the course of the week. Maybe some errands can be done on a lunch hour or take on one chore per weeknight so you’re not doing it all at once. You can get a surprising amount done in 10-15 minutes!
Talk to someone
The Sunday Scaries are very common, but they can also potentially be an indicator that you may need some extra help with stress management. A therapist can help you work through your stress by identifying specific causes and teaching you how to manage your triggers in a productive, meaningful way.
The bottom line: Sundays don’t have to be so scary. Reflect on what is causing you anxiety and think about ways you can address it. Make sure you give yourself some grace and allow time for rest. Reduce Sunday Scary burnout by spreading out your tasks over the week and not overbooking your plans. Finally, talk to a professional if you find you need a little more help in managing your Sunday anxiety.
