Waking up on a Sunday morning is one of the worst feelings for a surprisingly large number of people. While the hangover from weekend’s festivities might be one cause, there’s something else that happens to show its ugly face every Sunday: the Sunday scaries. It sounds kind of silly, and almost like a children’s book to be honest, but, for a lot of us, it’s a real issue. Sunday scaries can affect our mood, bodies, mental health and stress levels, too. So, what are the Sunday scaries? Good question.
The website for the Sunday Scaries podcast defines the “condition” as, “the anxiety that sets in on Sunday nights with the impending return to the office, school or work. Whether you call them The Sunday Scaries, The Sunday Blues, The Fear, The Shakes, The Dread — they’re there.” It’s a big mess of anxiety, stress, and, well, Sunday.
This isn’t just some made up term or “millennial problem” either. NBC spoke with Dr. Susanne Cooperman, a neuropsychologist who mentioned that it’s a legitimate issue and comes from something called “anticipatory anxiety.” Rather than being worried about what we’re dealing with in the moment, it comes from looking forward to the stress and crap we think is going to happen in the week ahead. Fun, right?
Why Do Your Sunday Scaries Have You Dreading Monday?
Sometimes, the Sunday scaries appear out of nowhere. So, why in the hell do they happen? I wish I knew, but figuring out if there’s some other reason behind your start-of-the-week phobia might help smash them.
Are you never prepared the night before work (we’ll get to that)? Is there a looming project you need to finish or start? Are you learning that your job really isn’t for you anymore? Are you just dreading getting on the sweltering subway? All of these have solutions, minus maybe the subway one (sorry). Revert back to your high school days and pack your lunch and pick out your outfit. Write a list of things you need to get done tomorrow to take some of those worries out of your head. Start applying for new jobs if you’re feeling underwhelmed in your current one. Buy a fan. There are plenty of solutions that can help beat out the fear you’re feeling.
Prepare For Tomorrow Earlier In The Day
Waiting until the last minute to get ready for class or work while dealing with the Sunday scaries are never a pretty mix. Rushing around when you really just want to be in bed, or frantically getting your stuff together in the morning is one way to make Mondays feel worse. If you wake up on Sunday morning and get everything set then that’s one less worry. You’d be surprised with how much better you feel knowing you can actually go to bed before one in the morning. Pack your lunch, pick out an outfit, pack your work bag, plan out your breakfast, grab your coffee money and smack those Sunday scaries upside the head!
Get Together With Friends
Drinking, partying, socializing, and regrets tend to happen on Fridays and Saturdays, but Sundays seem to be days for mourning the weekend. Adjusting this pattern might be a good anecdote to keeping away any Sunday scaries. While you probably shouldn’t be living it up on a Sunday night, socializing with friends, going for brunch or really any other activity that puts you around people and out of your apartment is a safe bet. And if you’re already prepared for Monday you won’t have to worry about coming home and having to get ready. Being around other people will help you and them take their mind off of the upcoming work week. Dr. John H. Sklare from Everyday Health mentioned that research even shows that chilling with your best buds can help your psychological health and lower your risk of disease — thanks friends!
Meditate, Go For A Walk Or Stretch
Sometimes, being alone helps you de-stress more than being around people. Walk or stretch it out. Meditate or go shoot some hoops. It’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something and also get those endorphins pumping. When you’re anxiety-ridden or have an unimaginable amount of stress, it tends to sound easier to chill in bed all day with Netflix or curl up on the couch with your cat. That might be temporary relief, but moving will feel better in the long run.
Although thoughts aren’t physical things, they can often feel paralyzing. If you let them strap you to your bed all day, those ideas will begin to snowball. When it gets to be 5 p.m. you’ll most likely feel even worse, so if the least you can do is kick back on a park bench with your cat, it’s better than your couch.
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