8 Tips for Beating the Sunday Scaries for Good and Making the Most of Your Weekends
You know the feeling.
You just had a perfect weekend that was full of exactly the right amounts of rest and play.
Then, right around evening time on Sunday, a tinge of anxiety sets in. All of a sudden, you realize your weekend is almost over, and you’ve got another week of work, school, and other obligations ahead of you. Your to-do list for the upcoming week starts to pile up in your head, and you start to worry about facing it all.
This sensation is what’s known as the Sunday Scaries, and it’s a type of anticipatory anxiety that can come with feelings of restlessness, uneasiness, irritability, and stomach issues.
Believe it or not, this doesn’t have to occur at the end of every weekend until you’re retired — you don’t have to accept these feelings as a part of your regular weekly routine. There are several tactics you can try out to fight the Sunday Scaries. Here are 7 tips we recommend for beating the Sunday Scaries.
How common are the Sunday Scaries?
Many people worldwide are affected by the Sunday Scaries in some form or fashion. A LinkedIn survey showed that 80% of Americans worry about the week ahead on Sundays, including 91% of millennials and 94% of Gen Zers.
The phenomenon makes sense — managing stress and work-life balance with only a two-day period in between to recover isn’t easy.
Our top tips for beating the Sunday Scaries
1. Write down your worries and concerns.
Instead of letting your concerns gradually build to the point of anxiousness, write them down. Seeing all of your worries in one place keeps your mind from the exhausting gymnastics of remembering and keeping up with everything.
Another way to help ease the scaries and log your worries is to build some time into your Friday afternoons to prepare your future self for the week ahead. On Fridays before you clock out, spend a few minutes creating a list of the things you need to accomplish during the next week. Creating this list ahead of time will help save you from the mental burden during your weekend.
2. Get enough sleep.
Sleeping well is a great natural remedy for anxiety. Catching up on sleep over the weekend isn’t enough to make up for a work week full of sub-par snoozes. If you can’t sleep because you’re worried about work, try keeping a notebook by your bed so you can jot down thoughts and ideas that may be keeping you up.
3. Adjust your schedule.
Plan your schedule in a way that helps you avoid those feelings of anticipatory anxiety and Sunday Scaries. You can do this by scheduling simpler tasks for Monday, or by spending your Friday working on tasks that will help yourself get ahead during the next week instead of taking it easy.
4. Disconnect from work/school during the weekend.
Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but do your best to spend your weekends focused only on activities that enrich your personal life. Save work for the work week, and don’t let it seep into your weekend. Disconnect from professional chat and email apps to avoid getting sucked into professional obligations.
5. Treat yourself on Mondays.
Create a Monday routine for yourself that gives you something to look forward to when starting the week. Whether that’s a treat from your favorite local bakery, an exercise class, or a standing dinner with a friend, build an exciting weekly element into the beginning of your week that you look forward to all weekend.
6. Go easy on yourself!
Didn’t accomplish everything on your to-do list? That’s okay! Your weekend is meant to recoup and recalibrate. Practice self-kindness and remind yourself that you’re doing great, and you did exactly what your body and mind needed at the moment.
7. Relax in the way that works best for you.
Know what works best for calming yourself down, and build time for that into your Sunday schedule. Whether it’s a warm bath with a fizzy bath bomb, a long walk in the park, or some restorative yoga poses, spend the end of your Sunday relaxing your body and mind.
8. Know your limits.
Sunday Scaries are one thing, but constant dread and doom for the impending work week ahead shouldn’t be a weekly occurrence. If this happens continually, you may be overextended and have too much on your plate. Reassess your commitments and obligations to determine what’s best for your energy and mental health.
Go forth and enjoy your weekends! Don’t let the Sunday Scaries hold you back. Learn more about self-care and self-love to inspire mindful living and kindness:
