A recent Star Tribune article pointed to a phenomenon that has ruined plenty of Sunday “fundays” for me. It’s called the Sunday “scaries.”
Sunday scaries is the tendency to overthink the workweek ahead.
The mind busily runs through everything that needs to be accomplished during the upcoming week. Worst-case scenarios of the imposing tasks creep into the mind, and before you know it, the weekend is over … and it’s Monday again.
The article points out that the Sunday scaries worsened during the pandemic. As we sheltered in place and worked from home, we began sleeping in the “office” and repurposing our kitchen counters as board rooms. Because we were home 24/7, the work week blended into what should have been personal time.
Instead of getting a sense of vacation vibes from a weekend, the pandemic made every day the same.
So how do you combat the Sunday scaries?
Luckily the article offers some helpful tips.
•Aim to have a truly recharging weekend. Find those activities and obligations that are recharging and do not overextend yourself. This eliminates the resentment of not having had time for yourself when Sunday night rolls around, which can exacerbate the dread of returning to work.
•Write a to-do list for Monday – and for the rest of the week, if necessary. Getting ideas and tasks out of your head and onto paper minimizes the anticipatory anxiety about the looming work week ahead.
•Create a Sunday routine to prep for the week ahead. A sense of empowerment is created when a routine is set up on Sundays such as doing laundry, selecting clothes for the week, grocery shopping or planning the weekday meals. Completing some Monday tasks on Sunday tamps down those scaries.
•Plan to wind down on Sunday evenings. Watching TV, exercising or playing games for an hour helps you to come off the weekend and transition into a calm state of mind. Don’t check your work email unless you know it will help you feel prepared. Getting plenty of sleep helps curb anxiety.
•Plan something fun for midweek. Thinking about enjoying leisure activities only on weekends puts a lot of pressure on those two days. So why not have some fun during the week, too. It’s a way to spice up the week and gives us a chance to relax during the week.
The “Wednesday scaries” sounds a lot less intimidating, doesn’t it?