For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.
-Lily Tomlin
My family recently had a funny conversation on a Sunday night about Sunday Scaries. Both kids were not at all excited about the upcoming school week (understandably so, I remember feeling the same way as a kid). My husband had a busy upcoming week at work that he was trying to prepare for that Sunday night. I remember looking around and wondered why I didn’t feel the same way. I had a busy workweek too, but I was looking forward to it.
So, what can you do when negative feelings about the upcoming week surface during your weekend downtime?
- Try to contain it so you can focus on the here-and-now. Remind yourself that you’ll give yourself time and space to go there, but tomorrow at work where it belongs.
- Take a step back and notice if this is an occasional issue or a weekly occurrence. If it’s an occasional thing, try to figure out what is really bothering you in this particular situation. If it’s a weekly occurrence, ask yourself what it is about your workweek that’s particularly stressful or something you truly dislike doing.
- Consider speaking to a coach to figure out what you’d like to change about your work, career, etc.
- Process how you’re feeling in therapy to figure out if there are some bigger changes you’d like to see happen in your life, as the Sunday Scaries may be a symptom of something else that’s going on.
- Focus on self-care to help you stay grounded in this moment- exercise, meditation, mindfulness, journaling, etc. can all help lower or alleviate the Sunday Scaries.
With some work, I hope you find a renewed sense of passion, fulfillment and excitement for your upcoming week!