It’s daunting, and it’s approaching—Monday. Known widely as the “Sunday Scaries,” the beginning of the workweek is often met with dread by numerous Americans. A survey conducted by isolved in 2021 revealed that 42% of employees said they feel “very stressed” the evening before the return to a workweek. While one might expect that the extension of flexible working hours and environments since the pandemic would alleviate this stress, a survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine indicates that sleep continues to suffer due to it. Over 25% of those surveyed—including 32% of Gen Z and 34% of millennials—“always, almost always, or often find it harder to fall asleep on Sunday nights compared to other nights of the week.”
“Work-related stress; toxic workplace cultures; a poor work-life balance; performance anxiety due to an upcoming test, interview, or presentation; weekly targets; and goals are frequent contributors to the Sunday Scaries,” explains Smriti Joshi, Wysa’s chief psychologist. “If you’re struggling with feelings of dissatisfaction or motivation in your job, or if you’re facing an ongoing conflict with a coworker, the anxiety surrounding the end of Sunday and the return to work or school may intensify.”
Tips for Overcoming Sunday Scaries
The positive aspect is that there are tangible strategies to manage this anxiety, which you can implement this coming Sunday. Here’s how to overcome the Sunday Scaries.
1. Identify the specific causes of your Sunday Scaries.
While some individuals may just dread Mondays in general, others might be grappling with specific concerns that cause their unease.
“The initial step is to pinpoint the fears or worries that trigger this anxiety, preventing you from fully savoring your Sunday. Anxiety serves as a survival response, activated to shield us from threats, akin to feeling endangered by a predator,” states Joshi. “In contemporary society, we face more abstract threats such as fear of failure or the dread of being laid off.”
She suggests jotting down these concerns as they start to creep into your mind on Sundays (or even earlier).
2. Assess whether remote work is exacerbating the issue.
We all recall those initial blissful moments when remote working began—staying in our pajamas all day, having free access to snacks, and sneaking in a Netflix break during the afternoon. However, reality set in, and it may have intensified your Sunday Scaries.
“Remote working has altered the expectations companies hold for their employees, as well as the expectations workers have for themselves. Living and working in the same space may compel individuals to be readily available to answer calls or messages at any time of the day or week,” noted Joshi. “Such elevated expectations along with extended hours can make the transition into Monday feel even more daunting.”
Examine the boundaries you have established between work and your personal space, and consider whether further dividing these can be beneficial. Joshi adds that while flexible work arrangements could help mitigate the problem—allowing you to be more intentional about your productivity timeline—this perspective has yet to be broadly adopted.
3. Overcome the Sunday Scaries by organizing your weekend.
It’s possible that the true issue isn’t Monday at all, but rather the chaos from Friday to Sunday. Stacey Graham, the founder of SGPR Group, believes weekends can sometimes be the problem.
“The Sunday Scaries came from the aftermath of weekends filled with kids’ sports, endless commitments, and the stress of incomplete to-dos from the weekend,” she elaborates. “Starting the week feeling unorganized, unprepared, and overwhelmed was never a situation I welcomed; it spun my thoughts out of control.”
Incorporating time for resetting over the weekend can leave you feeling better equipped to face Monday.
4. Allocate time for self-care on Sundays.
Although the term “self-care” became somewhat clichéd during the pandemic as remote workers juggled childcare and tech problems while being encouraged to unwind and establish routines, it still plays a significant role in reducing Sunday Scaries. “Taking a moment to engage in a workout or indulge in self-care significantly alleviated the dread I felt on Sundays,” Graham shares. Make it a point to include activities that rejuvenate you into your weekend so you feel more refreshed for work come Monday.
5. Embrace Bare Minimum Mondays to alleviate Sunday Scaries.
Perhaps Sundays wouldn’t be as intimidating if Mondays were more manageable. Look for ways to lighten your schedule, such as rescheduling calls to later in the day or Tuesday, and allocating time for a mental reset at work on Monday mornings. This TikTok phenomenon, Bare Minimum Mondays, encourages doing less on the first day of the week purposefully.
This strategy is proving effective for Graham, who shifted to working from home on Mondays for this very reason. This adjustment allowed her to tackle household tasks as well, making Mondays feel less stressful. “By Monday night, I had checked off my to-dos and was ready for the week ahead,” she states.
Running errands on Mondays became crucial for her. “Being able to drop kids off and head to the grocery store immediately made everything feel more efficient instead of having to juggle that with the work week,” she explains. These more relaxed Mondays helped her learn to release the pressure she felt in her job and extend herself some kindness.
6. Transform Sunday into a day you anticipate.
If Sundays leave you feeling miserable, it might be time to reimagine the day. Joshi suggests planning enjoyable activities for Sundays. “Is there something special you can schedule, a delicious meal you can prepare, or a new Sunday ritual that can help you look forward to these days?” she recommends. Whether it’s a family outing, a personal shopping spree, prioritizing exercise, or meeting friends, Sundays might be the perfect day waiting to be rediscovered.
7. Identify and communicate what employers can do to reduce Sunday Scaries.
Eliminating all Sunday Scaries on your own may not be feasible. Assess if there’s a workplace issue contributing to your anxiety that you could address with a supervisor or colleague.
“Employers can alleviate some concerns by fostering a psychologically safe work environment where workers can openly express their vulnerabilities, fears, and ideas without feeling at risk,” Joshi advises. “Offering wellness resources creates a safe space for employees to discuss their worries without the fear of judgment.”
If you’re feeling undervalued, uncomfortable, or dismissed at work, consider strategies for initiating constructive discussions with leadership.
“Ultimately, a culture grounded in radical candor and transparency enables employees to bring their authentic selves to work, consequently reducing the anxiety they might experience as they approach the week,” Joshi concludes.
And when nothing else seems effective, it may just be the right moment for a personal (Mon)day.
