Surviving the “Sunday Scaries”
A Therapist’s take on surviving the sensation of impending doom that ruins your weekend.
As the weekend winds down and the sun sets on Sunday evening, many of us experience a familiar sense of dread. This feeling is often referred to as the "Sunday Scaries," a form of anxiety that typically peaks as we begin to think about the upcoming work or school week. While it may feel like a common and isolated experience, it’s a reality for many people—from professionals to high schoolers.
As a therapist, I believe it's important to recognize that the Sunday Scaries aren't simply a fleeting moment of stress; they can be indicative of deeper issues that may need attention. If you find yourself cancelling social plans, struggling to get out of bed, or unable to focus or relax, it is time to learn more about this phenomenon and how to manage it effectively.
What Are the Sunday Scaries?
The "Sunday Scaries" refers to the anxious or uneasy feeling that people experience as they approach the end of the weekend. This anxiety often intensifies as Monday morning approaches. For some, it manifests as a sense of impending doom or dread about facing responsibilities: work, school, or particular demands of life. Others may notice physical symptoms such as tightness in the chest, headaches, or restless sleep. These negative cognitive or physical symptoms can take away from “Sunday Funday.”
Though it can happen to anyone, people with high-stress jobs, demanding school schedules, or a lack of balance between work and personal life may be more prone to experiencing these feelings.
Why Do the Sunday Scaries Happen?
There are several psychological and emotional factors that contribute to the Sunday Scaries. Understanding the root causes can help you better manage the unease.
Here’s 4 reasons why:
1. Anticipation of Stress and Pressure
For many people, the anticipation of upcoming challenges, deadlines, or meetings can trigger anxiety. Thoughts about the responsibilities ahead can feel overwhelming, leading to emotional flooding and avoidance or procrastination.
2. Lack of Work-Life Balance
The Sunday Scaries may be a symptom of an imbalance between work and personal life. If someone is overworking during the week or taking insufficient time to rest and decompress, they may feel burnt out by Sunday. This can make the idea of facing a new workweek even more anxiety-inducing. A work/life imbalance might also result in spending your only free moments over the weekend completing the dreaded chores that are pushed off during the week. When chores pile up, it can take away from time one was hoping to spend having fun or relaxing.
3. Feeling Trapped or Unsatisfied in a Job or Routine
Another common cause of Sunday Scaries is dissatisfaction with one's work, personal life, or routine. If someone feels unfulfilled or stuck in their job, the approach of Monday may bring up feelings of frustration or a sense of being trapped in a cycle they can't escape.
4. difficulty with transitions
Humans thrive on routine. Weekends often allow for flexibility and leisure, so the abrupt shift back to the structured demands of a workweek can create a jarring sense of loss and instability. Knowledge that the carefree pace of the weekend is ending may require mental and emotional recalibration. Physiologically, the body’s internal clock may have to readjust to an earlier sleep schedule if there were disruptions due to late nights. Research in behavioral psychology and stress management has established that even minor transitions require significant adjustments, which is why even a simple day change can feel monumental.
How to Manage the Sunday Scaries
While it’s normal to feel a bit of stress as the weekend ends, there are strategies that can help you reduce anxiety and approach the upcoming week with a calm and confident mindset.
1. Create a Sunday Routine
One of the most effective ways to combat the Sunday Scaries is to establish a calming and grounding routine on Sundays - especially in the evenings. Instead of letting anxiety build as the day goes on, focus on creating a relaxing environment that calms the nervous system and strengthens calming neural pathways in the brain. This could include bringing home a bouquet of flowers to admire all week, light exercise, taking a warm evening bath, meditating, and cozying up on the couch for the most recent HBO Max episode. Building routines and establishing a peaceful environment on Sundays will gradually weaken anxiety-inducing neural pathways, effectively "rewiring" your brain to respond with less anxiety to the scariness that is Sunday.
2. Plan Ahead
If the Sunday Scaries stem from fear of an unorganized or overwhelming week, planning ahead can be incredibly helpful. Take some time on Sunday afternoon or evening to map out your tasks for the week. Breaking larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks can reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed. When you know what to expect, the unknown becomes less intimidating. Doing a brief visualization of your week can give you an improved sense of preparedness. Do yourself a favor and don’t leave the worst chores for the end of the weekend. Tackle the mental ‘to-do’ list ahead of time so you can relax by Sunday evening. If you’re commuting to an office or school, eliminate the number of decisions you have to make on Monday mornings by checking the weather and planning your outfits and/or meals the night before. Also, get yourself a daily planner.
3. Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care is essential to managing stress and preventing burnout. Take time throughout the weekend to recharge and focus on activities that align with your values. If you need a place to start, think: sleeping in, taking your “hot girl walk,” Facetiming with family, or cooking that NYT Cooking recipe you’ve been wanting to try. Making space for self-care can provide the energy and clarity needed to face the week ahead.
4. Become Aware of Negative Thoughts
Often, the Sunday Scaries are fueled by negative thinking patterns, such as catastrophizing or assuming the worst. It’s important to be mindful of and to challenge these thoughts when they arise. Ask yourself: “What am I actually worried about? What’s the worst that could happen, and how likely is it?” Take notice when your mind is running away with “what ifs” or getting obsessive over things like waking up on time or facing your boss about that looming deadline. Being able to recognize unhelpful patterns in your thinking helps put distance between reality and those unnecessary worries. Reframing your thoughts in a more realistic, wise and balanced way can help alleviate distress.
5. Address Deeper Issues
If your anxiety around Sundays is rooted in dissatisfaction with your job or a feeling of burnout, it may be time to take a closer look at those issues. If burnout is severe, it can lead to unfulfilling weekends resulting from never feeling fully mentally or physically recovered from the workweek. If you find yourself worrying about the upcoming week before the clock strikes Sunday, and it’s impeding on your precious downtime, it might be time to reach out for professional support. Working with a therapist can help you explore underlying sources of unhappiness, and together, you can create a plan to address them. Sometimes, making small changes in your work habits or speaking to your employer about your workload can make a big difference. Setting boundaries for yourself can also be key to avoiding resentment about work.
6. Practice Mindfulness
Sunday Scaries may tempt you to spend the day dissociating by binge-watching Friends, doom-scrolling or drinking alcohol. While distracting activities may temporarily relieve emotional distress or its intensity, they ultimately harm you in the long run by failing to address underlying emotions or issues. Mindfulness practices, like deep breathing, grounding techniques, or guided meditation, can help you stay in the present moment to avoid your thoughts spiraling into the future or allowing your brain to check out entirely. These practices can be especially helpful when the anxiety starts to build on Sunday evening and work best when practiced in a weekly routine. Check out a Youtube video on yoga stretches you can do from bed or dump your running stream of consciousness into a journal to clear the mind before hitting the hay.
7. Limit Screen Time
Before bed, limit your screen time—especially exposure to work emails, social media, or negative news. Constantly consuming information or comparing your weekend to your peers’ can trigger stress, FOMO, and make it harder to wind down. Blue light emitted from your cell phone, tablet and TV, is a known sleep disruptor suppressing the production of melatonin, a hormone crucial for regulating sleep cycles. This leads to difficulty falling asleep and reduced sleep quality. Instead, opt for a good old fashioned book or relaxing binaural beats that stimulate brain waves promoting relaxation and sleep.
8. “Treat Yo Self”
Parks and Rec was onto something when it highlighted the greatness of treating oneself. To put it simply, treating yourself means having something to look forward to and working towards that reward. How can this help with existential dread on Sundays? By planning and anticipating a “treat” in the near future, you can combat negative feelings by creating a positive focus that acts like an anchor for your mind. This can help you feel more energized and motivated to push through long days and tough tasks as it cultivates a more optimistic view of the future. This could look like splurging on the fancy coffee beverage to kickstart your Monday morning or grabbing dinner with a coworker midway through the week. The power of little indulgences can go a long way in shifting your thinking.
Summarizing How to Survive
The Sunday Scaries are a common experience for many, but that doesn’t mean the overwhelm has to ruin your weekend. By understanding the causes of this anxiety and implementing effective coping strategies, you can reclaim your Sundays and enjoy the start of the week with a clear mind and a calmer attitude. Remember: You don't have to face the Sunday Scaries alone, and there are steps you can take to create a balanced, fulfilling week. It all starts with self-awareness, planning, and prioritizing your mental and emotional well-being. If you find that your anxiety persists or intensifies, seeking professional support can provide the tools needed to break free from the cycle and create a healthier relationship with your work and your weekends.
