Many people spend their weeks eagerly planning their weekends, only to feel overwhelmed by thoughts of work on Sunday evenings. This common phenomenon affects over 80% of Americans and is known as the Sunday scaries.
Read on to learn more about the Sunday scaries, their symptoms and common causes. You’ll also find 11 effective tips to help you manage and prevent Sunday evening anxiety, so you can enjoy your weekends and start your week feeling refreshed and prepared.
What are the Sunday scaries?
The term Sunday scaries, or Sunday blues, refers to feelings of anxiety, stress or dread that someone may experience on Sundays in anticipation of the work week ahead.
The Sunday scaries are a type of anticipatory anxiety, which means that they can cause someone to worry or feel nervous about something that hasn’t happened yet. In the case of the Sunday scaries, that can look like worrying about an upcoming meeting or dreading your commute to work ahead of time.
If left unmanaged, the Sunday scaries can lead to elevated symptoms of anxiety and stress and take a toll on your well-being.
Settle the Sunday scaries with these 11 tips
The Sunday scaries can make it difficult to relax and enjoy the last few hours of the weekend. However, Sunday nights don’t have to be accompanied by feelings of dread, anxiety or stress about the upcoming week.
Reclaim your time off and make the most of your “me time” with these 11 tips:
1. Create a soothing Sunday evening routine
Creating a soothing Sunday evening routine could help ease and prevent the Sunday scaries. This routine can consist of whatever activities feel best for you. For instance, it could include journaling, listening to a podcast while doing self-care activities or catching up on your favorite TV shows.
By intentionally deciding that your Sunday evenings are a time for feel-good activities instead of stress and unease, you can reframe your expectations and experience.
2. Plan out your week in advance
The Sunday scaries are a mild form of anticipatory anxiety, which is caused by uncertainty about possible upcoming events. While you can’t control every aspect of how your week will play out, planning out your week ahead of time or prepping for specific meetings or conversations can help ease some of that anxiety.
For instance, if you're feeling stressed about work tasks, try dividing your week into time slots for specific tasks or making a to-do list. Having designated time windows for your workflow and an idea of what you’ll be working on can help you prepare for the week ahead.
When possible, take some time at the end of the workweek to plan for the upcoming week. This way, you can go into the weekend confident that you have a plan for how you’ll meet your upcoming deadlines and reduce some of the uncertainty that could be contributing to your Sunday scaries.
3. Get a good night’s rest
Quality sleep plays a key role in your overall health and well-being. Your body and brain need uninterrupted and comfortable sleep to function properly and to recharge. A good night’s rest can help you be more productive and focused. Additionally, getting enough sleep can help you better regulate your mood and help you feel less irritable.
If you have trouble sleeping due to Sunday anxiety, there are a few things you can do to improve your quality of sleep.
Tips for improving your quality of sleep:
- Follow a consistent sleep schedule
- Avoid eating a big meal two to three hours before bedtime
- Turn off your screens an hour before bedtime
- Incorporate movement and exercise into your daily routine
- Sleep in a cool, dark room
- Limit your caffeine intake
- Avoid alcohol and nicotine
- Only use your bed for sleep and sex, don’t read or watch TV in bed
4. Treat yourself on Mondays
Transitioning from the weekend to the workweek can feel like a struggle. However, treating yourself to something on Mondays can give you something to look forward to. This might involve starting your Monday morning with a special cup of coffee or indulging in your favorite pastry from the local coffee shop on your commute.
You could also choose to do something in the evenings, like going for a bike ride or meeting up with a friend after work. Adding something special to your Mondays can help ease the Sunday scaries and make the start of the week something to look forward to.
5. Leverage the power of exercise and movement
Physical activity is a great way to combat stress and reduce anxiety from the Sunday scaries. Exercise can help you focus on yourself, your body and your surroundings rather than work-related thoughts of worry. Exercise can also help improve your quality of sleep and help promote a sense of groundedness and achievement.
Additionally, when you exercise, your brain releases endorphins like dopamine and serotonin, which are natural mood-boosting chemicals in your brain. These chemicals not only contribute to a sense of happiness and well-being during and after exercise but also help in reducing stress and anxiety.
6. Swap out cocktails for mocktails
Even after the initial effects of alcohol wear off, its impact on the body and mind can linger. Alcohol can lead to heightened anxiety symptoms, which can make the Sunday scaries feel more overwhelming.
By swapping out cocktails for mocktails, you can avoid the hangover anxiety, or “hangxiety,” that often comes after a night of drinking. Hangxiety symptoms can include a tight chest, palpitations or worry-filled thoughts.
The idea of swapping out cocktails for mocktails and being mindful of alcohol's impact on mental health is not new. In recent years, the sober curious movement has grown more popular. This movement encourages people to explore a more conscious and intentional approach to alcohol consumption, promoting mindfulness and well-being.
7. Try going social media-free on Sundays
It can be tempting to stay plugged in and online to keep up with the latest trending topics on social media. However, the digital noise can become overwhelming. Taking a break from social media on Sundays can help ease the Sunday scaries by allowing you to be more present and mindful.
Seeing others "living it up" online can make us feel like we haven't made the most of our weekend, which can increase anxiety about the upcoming week. Reducing screen time before bed on Sundays can also make it easier to fall asleep, ensuring you get a good night's rest. This can help you feel better and more refreshed on Monday morning as you head to work.
8. Connect with a loved one
Spending time with your loved ones — whether on the phone, a video call or in person — can be a great way to ease the Sunday scaries. In fact, spending time nurturing your close bonds is one of the best ways to quickly reduce stress and anxiety symptoms.
Having meaningful conversations with your loved ones and sharing laughs can lift your mood and make you feel connected. Additionally, getting emotional support from loved ones can make you feel more safe and secure so you can feel more prepared to take on the upcoming week's challenges.
9. Prioritize work-life balance
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance and setting clear boundaries can help you properly recharge for the upcoming workweek. The Sunday scaries may feel frustrating because they might make you feel as though your weekend was cut short.
Do your best to steer clear of doing work-related tasks like answering work emails, answering a text from your boss or working on a presentation during your weekends. By intentionally disconnecting from your work during the weekends, you can help yourself create a separation between your personal life and your work obligations. This separation plays an important role in your well-being by giving you the space to properly unwind.
10. Take some time off
It’s important to rest and recharge. Taking a vacation or some personal days can effectively alleviate the feeling of dread and anxiety often associated with the end of the weekend.
Resting and recharging are vital for maintaining good mental health and preventing burnout. Taking time off allows you to return to work with a refreshed perspective, leading to increased productivity and overall well-being.
11. Talk to a licensed mental health professional
While Sunday scaries aren't a clinical diagnosis, it's important to take care of your mental health. If you feel like the Sunday scaries are having a negative impact on your sleep, work or life, talking to a mental health expert could help.
A mental health expert can help you learn healthy coping strategies to help ease the discomfort and improve your mental wellness and overall well-being.
Symptoms of the Sunday scaries
Sunday scaries symptoms can vary in intensity. Some people may feel a subtle sense of unease weave in and out of their Sundays. Others may struggle with more overwhelming anxiety-related symptoms, like restlessness or worry-filled thoughts.
The most common symptom of the Sunday scaries is feeling a sense of anxiety or dread at the thought of going back to work at the end of the weekend.
Some additional anxiety-related symptoms of the Sunday scaries may include:
- Higher levels of anxiety
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Work-related stressful thoughts
- Increased irritability
- Sadness or a low mood
- Palpitations
Symptoms of the Sunday scaries can start as early as Sunday morning. They most commonly continue to build throughout the day and reach their peak at nighttime.
What causes the Sunday scaries?
The Sunday scaries may be caused by different things for different people. However, some of the most common causes of the Sunday scaries are work-related stress, financial uncertainty and unmet weekend expectations.
Additional factors may contribute to the Sunday scaries, like:
- Burnout or feeling overworked
- Feeling like you’re behind on work-related tasks
- Struggling with a healthy work-life balance
- A poor relationship with your coworkers or manager
- Poor sleep
- A hangover
- Underlying mental health conditions like anxiety or depression
How Sesame can help
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the Sunday scaries, Sesame can connect you with top-rated doctors and specialists who can help you come up with a treatment plan to better manage anxiety and stress.
Sesame also offers affordable online anxiety treatment with licensed healthcare providers. Providers on Sesame can create personalized treatment plans to help you manage work-related stress and anxiety, so you can feel more relaxed and prepared for the week ahead.
