Fix your *terrifying* Sundays with these steps.
Are you one of the lucky few who look forward to working on Monday mornings?
Do you go to bed at your usual time on Sunday night (without doom-scrolling or revenge procrastination!) and wake up bright and early on Monday morning?
Do you look forward to the upcoming work week and feel genuine excitement or happiness?
If you’re anything like most of us, you likely don’t feel this way and the waning hours of the weekend is your least favorite time of the week.
Dread, sadness, and even fear are common among working people as the beloved weekend draws to a close.
This phenomenon is called the Sunday scaries.
Whether it’s due to foreboding thoughts about dreaded work tasks or just a general feeling of doom, Sunday evenings often bring negative sentiments.
But negative emotions aren’t a foregone conclusion on Sundays.
There are several actions that you can take to reduce the Sunday scaries. Keep reading for five easy strategies to combat the Sunday scaries.
What are the Sunday Scaries?
So, what exactly are the “Sunday scaries?”
The Sunday scaries are a feeling of anxiety, sadness, melancholy, or dread typically associated with Sunday evenings in anticipation of starting a new workweek.
Many of us aren’t exactly thrilled when weekends draw to a close. However, being genuinely upset or fearful as Sunday winds down is a different thing.
If you struggle to go to bed on Sunday due to anxious feelings about the next day or wake up to a blaring alarm wishing it were any day other than Monday, you’re probably experiencing the Sunday scaries.
5 Easy Strategies to Combat the Sunday Scaries
Write a list of the week’s accomplishments
One way to combat the Sunday scaries is to acknowledge all of your accomplishments during the current week.
The achievements you track can be as simple as waking up on time every day or as complex as finishing a month-long report; keep track of them.
This method is best to complete during the week as going into the weekend feeling accomplished can help reduce anxiety about the upcoming week.
Plan for the upcoming Monday, on Friday
When the workday ends on Friday, many want to tear away from our desks ASAP and start our weekends immediately.
While this can feel good at the moment, ending the workweek abruptly without planning for the next week is something we often regret on Monday.
To avoid that “starting from scratch” feeling on Monday, consider planning for the upcoming week on Friday.
What essential tasks, meetings, projects, etc., do you need to complete next week?
Do you have any errands or appointments soon?
Writing these things down before you end your week helps clear your mind and eliminate any lingering thought loops that may hinder your weekend.
Additionally, it can be helpful to do a brain dump on Friday if you’re having trouble clearing your thoughts. You’ll thank yourself on Monday morning.
Don’t change your sleep schedule
Do you find yourself staying up late on Friday and Saturday nights to savor your temporary freedom?
It can feel great to stay up late on Friday and Saturday nights.
It can feel even better to sleep in late on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
As tempting as altering your sleep schedule can be, it’s more beneficial not to make changes.
Keeping your sleep schedule similar to your Monday – Friday schedule helps ensure adequate sleep.
Feeling rested is a significant factor for combating the Sunday scaries.
Are you struggling to go to sleep on time? Try thinking of how much better you’ll feel when you awake feeling rested on Monday morning as inspiration.
Make time to relax on (at least) one weekend day
During the week, we make to-do lists featuring errands and plans as far as the eye can see.
We make plans to go to the grocery store, see a friend at the park, get a haircut, go to the gym, clean the entire house, get the car washed, meal prep, and so on.
Even if you only accomplish half of your to-dos, your weekend breezes by, and it’s Monday all over again.
Instead of packing your weekends to the brim with tasks, consider making time to relax at least one weekend day.
Blocking time in your schedule to relax is a profoundly underrated way to combat the Sunday scaries.
Try carving out an hour or two on at least one weekend to do something that relaxes you.
Your version of relaxation could consist of reading, cooking, watching TV, or (blissfully!) doing absolutely nothing.
Give yourself something to look forward to on Monday
Sometimes, no matter what you do, the anxiety associated with Mondays is unavoidable.
A straightforward way to alleviate this is to give yourself something to look forward to on Monday.
Knowing that you will do or experience something you enjoy helps eliminate some of Mondays’ unpleasantness.
If you’re an outgoing person, consider making plans for coffee or dinner with a friend.
If you prefer a solitary treat, it may be worthwhile to grab your favorite snack or dessert to eat on Monday.
The Takeaway
Existential dread about Mondays isn’t a requirement.
With simple tweaks, like making plans and keeping your routines in place, you’ll find that it’s possible to combat the Sunday scaries.
No matter what, remember that you are not alone in your feelings about the weekend drawing to a close.
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