What are the Sunday Scaries?
The Sunday scaries are feelings of intense anxiety and dread that routinely occur every Sunday. They often start in the late afternoon and continue into the evening. However, depending on a person’s level of anxiety, these feelings can start as soon as they get out of bed.
The Sunday scaries might manifest as:
- Racing thoughts about the upcoming week
- A feeling of dread or resistance
- A difficulty being present in the moment
- Physical symptoms of anxiety, including an elevated heart rate, upset stomach, sweating, headache, or difficulty breathing
Understanding if the Sunday scaries are a sign of something deeper is important. It’s helps you come up with a game plan for how to best proceed.
Here are 7 reflection questions to help you investigate your SUNDAY SCARIES:
- Does this happen every week? Is this a pattern?
- Is this a sign of something deeper?
- What are you dreading most about your week?
- What would be most supportive to you in this moment?
- Do you need to rest and relax?
- Would it help you to be active and prepare for the week ahead?
- Are there any adjustments that you can make to your week to make the transition from Sunday to Monday smoother?
How do you manage the Sunday scaries when they strike each week?
Some Sundays it might feel better to rest, and on others it might feel better to take action to get a jumpstart on the week ahead. There might also be adjustments that you can make to your week to make your transition from Sunday to Monday smoother.
Here are 10 steps to manage the Sunday scaries:
- Be mindful of the thoughts leading to your anxiety. If you notice your automatic thoughts sound like, “I can’t do this,” or “This week is going to be awful,” get in the habit of challenging those unhelpful thoughts. Instead, remind yourself that you’ve successfully gotten through every week before this and you do have the skills to cope with whatever comes your way this week.
- Journal about how you’re feeling. The practice of journaling allows you to externalize your thoughts and feelings, which immediately takes some of their power away. Do a brain dump where you scribble everything in your head down on paper.
- Get a good night’s sleep. You’re more susceptible to experiencing anxiety or the Sunday scaries if you’re low on sleep. Practice good sleep hygiene. Quality of sleep as well as quantity and duration of sleep are both important.
- Limit alcohol on Saturdays. Alcohol consumption has been proven to increase anxiety levels the day after drinking. The next time you drink on a Saturday, notice how your anxiety the following day compares to a week in which you don’t drink on a Saturday.
- Make a plan for the week ahead. If you’re a planner, it might ease your anxiety to write out a basic outline for your upcoming week in your planner. This makes things easier come Monday morning.
- Practice self care. This might look different depending on the week, but try doing something just for yourself. Let me be something that makes you feel good.
- Create a Sunday evening ritual. Our brains like routines and predictability. Having a go-to wind down ritual signals to your brain that it’s safe and can relax.
- Mentally stay present. Take things one day at a time. If you notice your mind jumping ahead to the upcoming week, invite your focus and attention back to the present moment.
- Give yourself something to look forward to on Monday mornings. Buy a cup of coffee at your favorite cafe, book a yoga class, or save your favorite podcast to listen to on your commute. These small perks elicit a dopaminergic response in the brain, releasing a feed good chemical.
- Be mindful of your technology usage. For many people, technology usage and scrolling on social media can increase their level of anxiety. Experiment with having a few phone free hours on Sunday and notice how that impacts your anxiety levels.
How do you know if the Sunday scaries are a sign of something deeper?
The Sunday scaries share some overlapping symptoms with other mental health concerns like clinical depression and general anxiety. For that reason, it might benefit you to work with a mental health professional who can help to assess your situation and symptoms. Reach out to the team at Mindful Mental Health Counseling for additional support.
