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Feeling down and anxious about the upcoming work week on Sunday night? You might be experiencing the Sunday scaries.
This feeling is common. According to Susanne Cooperman, a neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst at New York University Langone Huntington Medical Group, feeling sad about the weekend ending is normal. However, it becomes a problem when it significantly impacts your life, leading to issues like difficulty focusing or sleeping, or reliance on alcohol. In such cases, seeking help is recommended.
Here’s a breakdown of why the Sunday scaries occur and how to manage these negative thoughts.
What are the Sunday scaries?
The Sunday scaries usually involve feeling depressed about the weekend’s end, anxious about the upcoming week, or a combination of both. These feelings often begin on Sunday afternoon.
Cooperman explains that these feelings can manifest as sadness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue, a state known as anhedonia (loss of enjoyment). If the primary feeling is dread about the work week, it’s considered “anticipatory anxiety.”
Why people get them
The Sunday scaries arise from various factors. They might stem from work-related concerns such as fear of job loss, aversion to going to the office, or difficulty disconnecting from work outside of work hours, Cooperman notes.
Alternatively, overcommitting during the week can lead to exhaustion by Sunday, contributing to these feelings, she adds.
How to deal with the Sunday scaries
A key strategy for coping with the Sunday scaries is to focus on the present moment. Cooperman suggests using meditation or relaxation apps, even for just 10-15 minutes, to achieve this.
She emphasizes that staying in the moment and avoiding catastrophic thinking about the future is crucial.
Other helpful approaches include disconnecting from phones and social media, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, exercising, and spending time outdoors. Cooperman advises scheduling enjoyable activities for Sunday afternoon and evening, engaging in activities that reliably improve your mood or help you recharge. Equally important is allowing yourself time to relax and de-stress.
She also suggests distributing errands throughout the week to avoid feeling like your entire Sunday is consumed by them.
While common, it’s essential to monitor how you’re coping with the Sunday scaries. Cooperman advises using healthy coping mechanisms for anxiety. “A glass of wine is acceptable, but needing more than that every night indicates a problem.”
If the Sunday scaries significantly affect your life, Cooperman recommends discussing these feelings with a therapist or psychologist. Warning signs include severe anxiety that makes it difficult to get out of bed, anxiety attacks, reliance on alcohol to calm down, inability to focus or sleep, and a complete lack of enjoyment during the weekend.
Cooperman concludes that seeking professional help from a psychologist or therapist is advisable if you’re stuck in a cycle of unhappiness. “Sometimes it’s hard to [deal with it] on your own. It’s good to talk to a professional.”