The Sunday Scaries Survival Guide| by Kadijatu Conteh
If you’re like me, you may experience that anxious feeling on Sundays as the realisation that another week has gone by and another Monday is right around the corner. It slowly starts to creep in around late noon and gradually gets worse as the evening unfolds. It almost feels like the night before your first day back at school after the Summer holidays, except it’s only been a weekend. You might find yourself trying to ease this feeling by tidying up your surroundings, organizing your tasks, or preparing for the week ahead, yet despite your efforts, the anxiety lingers. I’m writing this on a Monday evening so the feeling is very fresh. If you also experience this, you’re not alone and this post will help you with healthy strategies to cope with this feeling better but first…
What are the “Sunday Scaries”?
This phenomenon, known as the “Sunday Scaries”, is a form of anticipatory anxiety and a feeling of dread about the week ahead. It is characterised by typical symptoms of anxiety such as a general sense of unease, restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts, feeling overwhelmed and even difficulty with sleep. It is a very common phenomenon affecting 80% of American Gen Z and Melenial professionals according to a 2018 LinkedIn survey. Another survey conducted by Currys found that 54% of Brits have experienced the Sunday Scaries. So you’re definitely not alone and it’s completely normal to feel this way.
What causes the Sunday Scaries?
There are many reasons why you may experience this, depending on your unique situation. Some common reasons might include:
- A lack of work/life balance
- Feeling overwhelmed from tasks not completed the week before,
- Having a high-stress job
- Anticipation of the week ahead, especially if it’s a busy one.
What can you do about it?
Dealing with Sunday Scaries can cause a lot of distress if not approached correctly. Here are some methods I’ve found useful to make the prospect of Monday more tolerable:
- Move your body: This one is pretty self-explanatory. We all know the benefits of exercise by now (hopefully), especially for relieving anxiety. Sometimes, anxiety can feel like a lot of built-up mental energy and engaging in physical activity can help release some of that energy. It’s an easy and guaranteed way to make you feel better in the short-term and boosts your mood which has a cascading effect on the rest of your day.
- Plan for the week ahead: One of the best ways I’ve found that help me with this feeling is taking some time to plan the upcoming week, It could be simply making a list of all the things you need to get done that week or if you’re an avid planner like myself, prioritising all your tasks so you’re prepared to face the week head-on. This will free up some mental space and reduce the feeling of overwhelm. If in doubt, always write it down.
- Practice relaxation: This sounds simple but there’s nothing harder than trying to relax intentionally when your body is in a high arousal (or anxious)state. It’s like someone telling you to “calm down” when you’re clearly not calm, except it’s you telling your body to calm down. This can look very different for different people, but I find going outside and being in nature very calming. It could be reading a book, taking a nice warm bath or indulging in some other form of self-care, whatever works for you.
- Get sufficient sleep: One of the best ways to prepare yourself for the week ahead is to get a good amount of sleep the night before (7-9 hours for the average adult). A lack of sufficient sleep can have a rippling effect in all areas of our lives and can set us up for a poor start to the day. A good morning always starts with the night before.
This phenomenon is very widespread, especially within the Gen Z and Millenial population so you’re not alone. It is to some extent, normal and there are healthy actions we can take to relieve some of that distress.
If the anxiety feels unmanageable, however, and starts to get in the way of you enjoying the weekend, then perhaps it would be worth speaking to a professional.
Kadijatu is a Software Engineering apprentice at Multiverse based in Bristol, UK, and is writing for The Apprentice Lens. Here's more about her:
'Hi, I'm Kadija. I'm a Software Engineer Apprentice. I’m inspired to write for the Apprentice Lens by my desire to connect with other apprentices and fellow professionals through my writing. I hope to develop my writing skills, overcome my fear of sharing my writing with others and improve my confidence.'