Overcome Sunday Scaries: 7 Tips for a Better Monday

Monday mornings… for most, these two words evoke a sense of dread, a reminder that the weekend is over, and a new week of work or responsibilities looms ahead. But what if this dread doesn’t stem from Monday itself but instead from its unsung villain, Sunday?

The “Sunday Scaries” is that anxiety-riddled feeling that hits most of us sometime during the second half of Sunday. I’ve had my fair share of struggling with this. Through experimentation with various ideas, I’ve come to find a few strategies that have genuinely helped me overcome Sunday Scaries.

In this opinion piece, I want to tackle the Sunday Scaries head-on by demonstrating how we can change our approach towards Sundays and, by extension, our attitude towards Mondays. Instead of dreading the end of the weekend, we can turn Sundays into a day of preparation, self-reflection, and rejuvenation.

Defining the Sunday Scaries

Think of the Sunday Scaries as a cousin to anxiety. It’s not a diagnosable condition, but it is a very real and widespread apprehension about the upcoming week. I remember my Sunday Scaries as a feeling of knots in my stomach. This tightness started to form from the moment I woke up, signaling the end of relaxation and the start of unknown challenges.

For many people, the Sunday Scaries can manifest in various ways. It could be a sense of restlessness, irritability, or even a full-blown panic attack. For me, it was never anything but rather a general unease, coupled with a sense of time slipping away too fast, like sand through my fingers.

To truly address the Sunday Scaries, it’s important to first identify and understand their role in our lives—more than just a weekly inconvenience, this apprehension can highlight deeper issues related to work-life balance and personal fulfillment.

The Sunday Scaries are a signal from our subconscious telling us that all is not right. And that’s okay. It’s OK to get this signal — what you do next counts.

Embracing the Sunday Scaries

Instead of fighting these feelings, we could use them as a compass to guide us toward a path that truly energizes and excites us. By acknowledging the feelings the Sunday Scaries bring, we can uncover opportunities for improving our mental well-being and work-life balance.

One of my favorite quotes is, “The only way out is through.” This is particularly pertinent when dealing with the Sunday Scaries because confronting the source of your discomfort is when growth happens.

Strategies for Coping

Here are seven strategies that have worked for me in overcoming the Sunday Scaries. These are not quick fixes but ideas to be finetuned and adapted to your life. By consistently incorporating these strategies, the hope is that the typical Sunday dread gives way to anticipation over time, and Monday becomes just another day.

1. Personal Sunday Routine

Establishing a Sunday routine tailored to you can help shift your perception of the day. This routine should include activities you genuinely enjoy and promote relaxation and self-care. This looks like going for a long walk, meal-prepping, writing in a journal, and reading a book.

2. Early Planning

Start planning for the next week. This doesn’t mean creating a complex schedule but rather jotting down the most important tasks or goals you’d like to accomplish. I’ve found it beneficial to create a simple to-do list for Monday, which allows me to visualize and prepare for the day ahead.

3. Disconnecting

Make a conscious effort to disconnect from work obligations on Sundays. This means ignoring work emails and messages and thinking about less urgent tasks. Compartmentalizing work can help create a clear boundary between your personal and professional life.

Spending quality time with friends or family can shift your focus away from the upcoming work week. Social interactions can be incredibly therapeutic, reminding you there’s more to life than your professional responsibilities.

5. Bare Minimum Monday Approach

Adopting a “Bare Minimum Monday” approach can significantly reduce Sunday anxieties. It means intentionally scheduling your Monday to be less demanding, allowing yourself to ease into the week. Choose to tackle only the fundamental tasks and postpone meetings or demanding projects if possible. This strategy gives you something less daunting to anticipate and provides space to build momentum for the rest of the week. For me, this has meant dedicating Monday mornings to planning and light administrative tasks, reserving more intensive tasks for when I’m more mentally and emotionally prepared.

Learning More About “Bare Minimum Monday”

The concept of “Bare Minimum Monday” isn’t just a personal strategy but one that’s been gaining popularity among productivity experts and work-life balance advocates. To deepen your understanding and maybe even get some fresh insights on how to implement this approach in your life, I recommend exploring the following resources:

The Guardian: Search for “Bare Minimum Monday” to find opinion pieces and expert advice on easing into your workweek with this approach.
Lifehacker: This site often features articles on productivity hacks, including how to effectively reduce Monday stress by doing the bare minimum.
Mindful.org: For a more mindful approach to work and life balance, including how starting your week with minimal tasks can improve your mental health.

Remember, the goal of “Bare Minimum Monday” is not to shirk responsibilities but to manage your energy and start your week in a sustainable and productive way.

6. Mindfulness and Meditation

Incorporate mindfulness practices into your Sunday routine. Activities such as meditation or yoga can be particularly helpful in managing the stress that leads to the Sunday Scaries. These practices can help you cultivate a sense of calm and centeredness, which can carry you through the week.

7. Gratitude

Reflect on the good things that happened during the week. Practicing gratitude can help reframe your mindset and reduce anxiety. It can be as simple as writing a list of things you’re thankful for, which can shift your focus from what you have to do to what you’ve already achieved.

It’s important to remember that you’re not alone in this battle. Most, if not all, of us have experienced the Sunday Scaries at some point. It’s a shared human experience.