
The Sunday scaries
Cute name, not so cute feeling
The Sunday Scaries. It might sound like a fun ghost train ride but according to a study by Monstor it’s a genuinely crummy feeling that affects up to 76% of people who work Monday – Friday.
It can feel like dread, anxiousness or sadness which is rough, given it’s meant to be your day off from stress! How dare that cheeky Sunday Scary steal the limelight from your relaxing weekend and railroad your attention towards the working week ahead! What. A. Diva… Thankfully, there are strategies that you can use to help manage this cheeky workaholic minx. According to Psychology Today these things might help:
Set boundaries
Post pandemic, boundaries between work and play have become even more blurred, making it important to give your brain a hand in distinguishing between the two. If you must do some work on the weekend, create a specific time frame and place for it so it doesn’t spill over onto your downtime. If the Sunday Scaries start to creep in on Sunday morning, schedule a specific time to worry about work. It might sound silly but quarantining those thoughts between, say, 5pm and 6pm can help. If those niggly thoughts crop up before, tell your brain; “Hey! Worrying about that is planned for 5pm and not before!” And make sure you plan something nice for 6pm like a date with a funny TV show, a plate of nachos, your bathtub, or all three at once!

The work week ahead can feel a little overwhelming when you’re staring down the full week. It helps to break the week and days into small parts.

Plan a routine that you look forward to
The work week ahead can feel a little overwhelming when you’re staring down the full week. It helps to break the week and days into small parts. You can start with Monday morning where you make a plan before work. By breaking your morning into small tasks, it allows you to stay in the moment and not feel overwhelmed by the week ahead. Oh, and why not pop listening to a pep into your routine, ‘future you’ will likely be super grateful to ‘past/present you’ that you made time to listen to ‘Big meeting gee up’ or one of our ‘Morning high fives’ which have been written for, well, you!
Value your free time
Make sure you get the most bang for your free time buck by being conscious about using it. If you look back on your weekend on Sunday night and don’t feel like you’ve done much other than think about work, you may end up feeling a bit bummed out. Valuing your free time doesn’t have to mean that it’s lemon-wedged with social engagements, productivity and activities either. Re-charge in the way that suits you. Remind your brain that whatever you chose to do was time well spent and give yourself a pat on the back..
Finally,
When those Sunday Scaries creep in, remind yourself you’re not alone, no way! I mean, that’s why we made this in the first place, because we feel it too. Be nice to yourself and try to squeeze some extra joy out of your Sunday night, you deserve it!