How to deal with the Sunday Scaries
Tips on reducing anxiety on Sunday nights
Hey there,
I have a confession to make: I have Sunday Scaries, at least on some Sundays, so I started researching which best practices there are to help ease the uneasy feeling that creeps up at the end of Sunday, when your head and body is subconsciously preparing for a busy work week. Let’s start with what actually causes Sunday night anxiety and according to Kristen Fuller, MD its not just one reason but could be one of the following:
“Dealing with a high-stress job: If you have work-related anxiety, knowing that you have to return to your job the following day could cause this anxiety to begin to appear in advance. You start to think about the projects you have to work on or the things you need to get done and this triggers feelings of anxiousness.
Having a busy week ahead: Even if you don't have to work, knowing that you have a lot to do in the days ahead can lead to anxiety on Sunday nights. Maybe your days are packed with family obligations or a home project that you're working to finish. As you begin to go through your long to-do list, you start to feel tense as a result.
Not handling things the week before: For more than 1 in 3 people, Sunday anxiety occurs when they begin thinking about everything they didn't get done the week before.2 All that unfinished business gets transferred forward and added to this week's to-do list, so you start to feel overwhelmed.
Struggling to balance work and home: More than 2 in 5 people who experience the Sunday Scaries have anxiety that stems from trying to balance work and home.2 You start to think about all your obligations in both settings and the anxiety begins to well up.”
Photo by Matthew Brodeur on Unsplash
How to reduce the Sunday anxiety
🧘 What Are the Sunday Scaries? by Kristen Fuller, MD
Top Take aways: It’s all about what you do with your Sunday. There are different options from active recharging by doing sports and activities to using relaxation techniques, catching up on sleep and overall focusing on mindfulness. Me time is super key to reduce Sunday anxiety.
🧘 What Are the ‘Sunday Scaries’? by Cleveland Clinic
Top Take aways: This article gives cool suggestions like reframing the mindset from “Ouh, all the things I need to do” to “This is nothing new, it will be OK” to Monday morning perks, I took away 1-2 ideas that I’ll put into practice tomorrow :)
🧘 I’m a Psychiatrist, and Even I Get the Sunday Scaries—This Is How I Deal by Vania Manipod
Top Take aways: This one has a great additional idea: schedule fun activities and self-care time during the week, so that you can looking forward to it!
So I learned at least 3 new things and I’ll def. try the “scheduling self-care time during the week” and I’ll def. try to write this weekly briefing on Sunday morning rather than the night next week ;)
Have a great start to your week!
Darja
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