What are the “Sunday Scaries”?
“Sunday Scaries” are feelings of anxiety about the upcoming workweek. The Sunday Scaries are a type of “anticipatory anxiety,” which the American Psychological Association defines as feelings of apprehension about an impending event. On Sunday afternoons and evenings, many people experience this type of apprehension as they think about the busy week that lies ahead.
The Sunday Scaries can cause mental and physical symptoms of anxiety. If you get the Sunday Scaries, you may experience a sense of stress, dread, or impending doom on Sundays, making it difficult for you to relax and enjoy the end of your weekend. You might also experience physical symptoms of anxiety, including a faster heart beat, sweating, indigestion, fatigue, and trouble sleeping.
What causes the Sunday Scaries?
The difficult transition from personal life back to work life Over the weekend, you can allow yourself to let loose, relax, and take a break from the demands of work or school. When Monday morning rolls around, you need to snap back into productivity mode pretty quickly, and this 180 degree turn can cause some emotional whiplash. Anxieties over this transition can cause the Sunday Scaries.
Stress about obligations at work or school Maybe you have a huge deadline or a stressful presentation coming up at work next week. Or, maybe you have an important test or assignment due at school. If you have an especially busy or stressful week ahead, you may be more likely to experience the Sunday Scaries the night before it starts.
Fear of the unknown Even if you don’t have any big projects or deadlines coming up, you may be worried about the unexpected curveballs that might occur at work or school. Fears about things like pop quizzes, tensions with classmates or coworkers, or work emergencies can easily cause a bout of the Sunday Scaries.
Unfulfilled expectations for the weekend Maybe you wanted to have a super fun weekend filled with social events. Or, maybe you had big goals about getting all your chores and housework done before the week started. If things didn’t work out according to plan, the feelings of disappointment and having “wasted” your weekend may be to blame for your Sunday Scaries.
Not wanting the weekend to end On a more positive note, you could have had an amazing weekend, and the Sunday Scaries are setting in because you wish it could last just a little longer. Time flies when you’re having fun, and you may simply be feeling down in the dumps about the fact that the weekend went by so fast.
How do you fight the Sunday Scaries?
Spend your Sunday doing something you enjoy. If you spend Sundays hanging out at home and not doing much, it’s easier to get stuck in your head with worries about the upcoming week. To combat this, plan some fun activities on Sundays. Participate in a hobby, meet up with friends, spend time out in nature—whatever your heart desires! This will help distract you from any Sunday anxieties you may be feeling, so that you can actually enjoy the end of your weekend. Remember, Sunday makes up a full half of your weekend, and it’s still your time to relax, have fun, and unwind before Monday morning. Don’t let the Sunday Scaries take over your day—do something fun!
Get some exercise on Sundays to boost your mood. Exercise is known to soothe feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression, which makes it a great antidote for the Sunday Scaries. As soon as you feel the Sunday anxiety setting in, get up and get those endorphins flowing. You can plan a Sunday morning hike, take a workout class, go on a walk around your neighborhood, ride your bike to the farmer’s market—it’s entirely up to you!
Take care of a few tasks in advance, so you’re less stressed on Monday. When you have the Sunday Scaries, you feel overwhelmed and anxious about the busy week ahead. You may find it helpful to take care of a few chores in advance, so you’ll be less stressed when the week starts. For example, you could spend some time on Sunday meal prepping, tidying up, doing laundry, filling up your car with gas, or grocery shopping. When you get these chores out of the way, the upcoming week may look a bit less daunting, which can help calm those Sunday Scaries.
Make a to-do list for the upcoming week. Fear of the unknown is a huge part of the Sunday Scaries, so it's helpful to make a to-do list or plan out your important tasks in writing, so that you feel more prepared and in-control. Make note of the top tasks you need to get done in a calendar app, write them down in a physical planner, or simply list them on a notepad. Whatever works best for you!
Incorporate mindfulness practices into your Sunday schedule. Mindfulness involves staying aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations on a moment-by-moment basis, without judging them or judging yourself. Research shows that mindfulness promotes emotional well-being, while also reducing feelings of stress and anxiety, which make it a very beneficial practice if you’re hoping to beat the Sunday Scaries. To get started, try doing mindful meditation on Sundays. Here's how to do it: Sit down in a comfortable, distraction-free spot, and set your timer for however long you’d like to meditate. 5 minutes is a good starting point for beginners! Start by taking slow, deep breaths. As you breathe, try to empty your mind and focus only on the sensation of breathing in and out. Any time your attention starts to wander, bring your focus back to the sensation of breathing. Do this until your timer goes off, signaling the end of your meditation.
Do a mini social media detox on Sunday evenings. You may feel tempted to distract yourself from the Sunday Scaries by scrolling through social media. Unfortunately, this can actually increase feelings of stress and anxiety, rather than alleviating them. On the flip side, taking a short break from social media on Sunday nights can have a positive effect on your mood and wellbeing, while also improving the quality of your sleep. Don’t worry—you don’t need to do a super intense digital detox or put away your phone for the entire day on Sunday. Detoxing for just an hour or two before bed can be helpful. It allows you to get into a more relaxed mindset and unwind before bed, while also reducing your exposure to blue light, which is known to have a negative effect on sleep.
Create a relaxing Sunday evening routine. A consistent evening routine can combat the overwhelmed, anxious feelings that come with the Sunday Scaries. The perfect evening routine varies from person to person, but it will typically include activities that promote relaxation and self-care. For example, your Sunday evening routine might start with a yummy dinner, followed by a relaxing bubble bath, then 30 minutes of reading before bed. Choose whichever calming activities work best for you. A few more activities to consider include taking an after-dinner walk, making a cup of tea, stretching, meditating, or journaling. Once you come up with your Sunday night routine, try to stick to it! The structure and consistency of the routine is what will truly help you unwind and soothe your Sunday anxieties.
Work on getting good sleep on Sunday nights. The stress and anxiety of the Sunday Scaries can lead to insomnia, so it’s especially important to practice good sleep hygiene and prioritize quality sleep. Here are some important rules of thumb to follow: Avoid sleeping in on Sunday morning, and go to bed at the same time on Sunday night that you would on any other weeknight. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps improve sleep quality. Limit your exposure to blue light (the light that comes from digital devices like your phone) right before bed. Blue light reduces the secretion of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your circadian rhythm and makes you feel sleepy at bedtime. Make sure your bedroom is very dark, quiet, and cool. If your room is too bright, noisy, or warm, it can negatively affect the quality of your sleep. Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages or alcohol before bed. Both can interfere with your sleep cycle and make it harder for you to get a good night’s rest.
Plan to treat yourself on Monday. Having something to look forward to on Monday mornings can help fight the negative emotions of the Sunday Scaries. If you’re a big coffee drinker, your reward could be a latte from your favorite coffee shop before work. Or, if you’re a foodie, a yummy breakfast burrito, bagel, or donut might do the trick to brighten up your Monday. It’s entirely up to you!
Work on reframing your negative thoughts. When you’re experiencing the Sunday Scaries, your mind starts to catastrophize. Your job becomes more stressful, the tasks on your to-do list turn into an insurmountable mountain, and you may even start to berate yourself for being anxious about everything. Reframing involves shifting your perspective to focus on the positive in a situation, and it can be a helpful tool to combat this aspect of the Sunday Scaries. If you find yourself thinking things like “I’m so stressed about work tomorrow,” or “I don’t think I can do it,” pause and try to frame the situation in a more positive light. For example, you could say, “I have a lot to do tomorrow, but I’m strong and capable,” or “I’m going to do the best I can, and that’s all I can do.”
Sunday Scaries FAQs
Are Sunday Scaries common? Yes, the Sunday Scaries are very common. In fact, according to research conducted by LinkedIn, 80% of working professionals experience the Sunday Scaries, and this number goes up to a whopping 90% for Millenial and Gen Z employees. If you experience the Sunday Scaries, you’re definitely not alone!
Are Sunday Scaries a sign of depression or anxiety? The Sunday Scaries are not a formal diagnosis, and on their own, they are not a sign of depression or anxiety. If your Sunday Scaries seem purely situational and only occur before a busy work week, you can usually manage them with the methods listed above. However, if your Sunday Scaries are so severe that they impact your ability to eat, sleep, or function well at work on Mondays, consider seeking out treatment with a mental health professional. A licensed therapist or counselor can help you identify potential triggers for the anxieties you’re experiencing on Sundays, and they can also provide some coping strategies.
How do you answer the “How I fight the Sunday Scaries” prompt on Hinge? The popular dating app Hinge includes several photo prompts you can use to share your personality with potential matches. One of these prompts is “How I fight the Sunday Scaries.” To answer this prompt, simply use a photo of a fun activity you do on Sundays to combat stress about the upcoming work week. For example, you could use a photo of yourself taking a yoga class, going on a hike, or hanging out with your friends to answer this prompt.
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