Even if you love your job, Sundays can bring a wave of dread as the weekend winds down and Monday looms.
Known as the "Sunday Scaries", this common feeling of anxiety, irritability, or sadness can ruin the end of your weekend.
Fortunately, mental health professionals have shared simple yet powerful ways to take back your Sunday and start your week on a better note. Here's how.
Identify the real cause of your anxiety
Psychiatrist Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth suggests starting by figuring out what's truly behind your Sunday anxiety.
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Are you mourning the loss of personal time? Or overwhelmed by what's coming up in the week ahead?
Once you identify the trigger, it becomes easier to address the root problem rather than just the symptoms.
Allow yourself to feel your emotions
Instead of avoiding uncomfortable feelings, clinical psychologist Dr. Carla Marie Manly recommends pausing to acknowledge them.
Whether you're feeling sad, frustrated, or tense, give yourself a few minutes to sit with those emotions without judgment. This act of mindfulness can help defuse their intensity.
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Set a specific "worry window"
Dr. Peggy Loo recommends scheduling a fixed time each Sunday to let your worries run wild - say, from 4 to 5 p.m.
This strategy helps limit rumination and keeps negative thoughts from taking over your whole day.
If worry creeps in outside that hour, redirect your attention until your designated time.
Make Sunday a day of rest
Instead of overloading your Sunday with chores or errands, prioritize rest and self-care.
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Engage in relaxing or uplifting activities like baking, exercising, or chatting with a friend. Keeping things low-key helps you recharge before the week ahead.
Create a transition ritual
Wind down your weekend with a calming routine to prepare for the shift into weekday mode.
Whether it's a warm bath, meditation, or a Sunday evening walk, routines can help you mentally transition while maintaining a sense of peace and structure.
Stop cramming everything into the weekend
If you save all your to-dos for Sunday, you're bound to feel overwhelmed. Spread tasks like grocery shopping or laundry across Friday or Saturday instead.
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This frees up Sunday for more restorative activities and lowers end-of-weekend stress.
Do your prep work ahead of time
Therapist Amira Johnson recommends prepping for the week on a different day - or at least not leaving everything until Sunday night.
Planning earlier gives you more mental space and keeps Sunday from becoming a countdown to Monday.
Shift your mindset about the week ahead
How you think about Monday can shape your Sunday. Instead of dreading the worst, tell yourself, "This week might be busy, but I’ve got it".
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This mindset shift, according to Dr. Loo, can ease anticipatory anxiety and make you feel more capable.
Focus on something to look forward to
Plan something enjoyable for the start of your week - like a coffee date or a favorite lunch.
Having something positive on the calendar helps reframe Monday as something to anticipate instead of fear.
Use Sunday to reflect, not catastrophize
Instead of spiraling into worst-case scenarios, use Sunday evening to reflect on the good parts of your weekend.
Dr. Erickson-Schroth suggests making this a habit: it helps close the weekend on a high note and prevents the emotional drop-off many people experience.
Reevaluate your work situation if needed
If you feel this dread every week, it may be a sign of deeper dissatisfaction.
Dr. Manly notes that chronic Sunday anxiety could indicate burnout or that your job isn't aligned with your values.
Take time to assess whether you need a bigger change in your life or career.
This article is based on information from Real Simple.