If you find yourself frustrated by the dread that puts a damper on your Sunday night every week, you’re in the right place. Let’s talk all about the Sunday scaries and how you can put them to rest for good.
What Are the “Sunday Scaries”?
Simply put, Sunday scaries is just an alliterative name for that feeling of dread that seems to overshadow the eleventh hour of every weekend. It’s a feeling of impending doom, returning stress, or frustrated anxiety that directly relates to your return to the scheduled, stressful monotony of your workweek.
Why Does Sunday Night Anxiety Happen to Me?
While there are a lot of reasons that Sunday night anxiety may occur, there’s something important to know. There’s nothing wrong with you for feeling it. This feeling is estimated to be felt by over 80% of working professionals for one reason or another. Rest assured that you’re definitely not alone as we take a look at why this happens.
Burnout
Being too committed to your work can wear you down. Even the most passionate among us can become overwhelmed with the weight of work if you never (or rarely) take a chance to step back and set that weight down. Burnout happens when you work too hard, too long, or give too much to your professional goals without giving back to yourself.
Uncertainty
When you’re not sure what’s to come, or how to meter your energy or expectations, it’s difficult to approach your work confidently. You may be prone to Sunday night anxiety if your personal workload is in flux. Or if the company you’re employed by is undergoing changes.
Imbalance
A few kinds of imbalance can contribute to your Sunday anxiety struggle: power, time, and energy. When you feel like what you offer your work situation isn’t being reciprocated, it’s natural to dread the return to an imbalance that leaves you feeling out of sorts at work.
5 Ways to Stop the Sunday Scaries & Anxiety
Have a routine
There are two different types of routines that will benefit you in helping kick the Sunday night anxiety to the curb. First, craft a routine specifically designed for the evening before you return to work. The routine should be specific, measurable, and clear. Choose a few tasks that you repeat, in the same order, at this point in your week every week. Whether that occurs on Sunday like a traditional business week schedule or you have a more flexible work week, this routine will be the same every time. Another type of routine that will benefit you in banishing Sunday scaries is a daily routine. Such as waking at the same time each day and preparing for bed at the same time each day. Having this routine can ensure you feel more grounded and confident in what’s coming next. Even if you’re not feeling it.
Get enough sleep
This ancient refrain is truly at the heart of so much of our lives. While your sleep health can be something you address with your routine, it’s also something that can help to manage anxiety and reduce stress levels. When you’re sleeping, you can’t be anxious and your body gets the chance to reset your equilibrium so you feel more prepared to tackle whatever arises when you wake.
Treat yourself on Monday
There’s a reason reward charts work for children, and bonuses work in offices. Regularly planned or accounted for indulgences can help you have something to look forward to. Maybe that means you budget a bit of fun money every month to buy a hobby craft (think books, games, or buildables). Or plan a consumable like a meal out or a special snack. Regardless of the shape that your preferred treat takes on, having this to look forward to on the dreaded Sunday night can make it feel more palatable.
Prioritize a work-life balance
In the age of remote work and trying hard to get (and stay) ahead of professional development goals, it can be difficult to feel like you have a life outside of work. It’s counterintuitive, but prioritizing a commitment to the interests and activities you take part in outside of work can be a huge asset in your work as well. Making that work-life balance a concrete part of the way you set goals can help to offset Sunday stress and anxiety by ensuring you’ve got something to look forward to on Monday whether you treat yourself or not. It also ensures that you can leave work at the door when you get home, and vice versa.
Schedule ways to reduce stress
You can’t schedule anxiety or stress, but you can certainly make sure you set a regular routine around finding relief from the stress that casts a shadow on your Sunday evenings (and likely the rest of your week as well). Make time for your hobbies, for relaxation, and for doing absolutely nothing. If a schedule works for a meeting, it’ll work for an anti-meeting too so don’t hesitate to schedule in that binge-watch or a couple of hours just relaxing with no goal in mind at all.
Start Therapy to Reduce Stress in San Diego, CA
If the Sunday night anxiety is adding to your already full plate, let us take some of the load off. At Stress Solutions, we specialize in helping you relieve pressure, reduce stress, and build a life rich in balance. With the support of a San Diego Therapist, you can start to enjoy your whole weekend without the Sunday scaries. To get started follow these steps:
- Call us today (619)-881-0593 for a free consultation
- Schedule your first appointment to help you cope with stress
- Gain the skills and support needed to no longer be weighed down
Other Counseling Services That Are Offered At Stress Solutions in San Diego, CA
Stress can be caused by a variety of things and might not be the only thing you are dealing which. That is why we also offer men’s mental health support, PTSD treatment, and trauma therapy. In addition to anxiety help, personal addiction recovery, and couples therapy. All services are provided through online therapy in California, Florida, and Oregon.
About the Author, Jordan Zipkin LMFT
Jordan is a Licensed Therapist in San Diego who provides counseling throughout California, Oregon, and Florida. He received his Master’s Degree at Argosy University in Clinical Psychology. He has dedicated his life to helping men and couples identify the areas in their life in which they struggle. Over the years he has developed experience in helping clients learn skills that they can implement within their daily life to reduce stress.
