Picture this scenario: it’s a sunny Sunday afternoon, you’re catching up with your friends or relaxing on your couch, and suddenly, a feeling of intense anxiety and dread sets in — Monday is just hours away. For millions of employees worldwide, this gloomy sensation contributes to a vicious cycle of stress when fidgety thoughts about the week ahead get the best of us in advance.
It turns out this late-weekend phenomenon has a name. It’s called Sunday scaries and it’s a common nightmare that hits like clockwork as soon as you want to unwind in the last hours of the weekend.
To gain some insight on the topic from an expert, we reached out to Joshua Klapow, Ph.D. a psychologist and creator of Mental Drive. He started this well-being initiative to help people gain access to the best-in-class psychological and performance tools to live healthier, more fulfilled, and successful lives. "Sunday scaries really represent the brain shifting from relief to reality, and for so many, reality means lots of work, stress and pressure. So, the scaries are the anticipation of what is to come," he told Bored Panda.
It’s hardly surprising that the transition from weekend to work week has always been unpleasant, to put it mildly. Sunday scaries is a cute name to describe some heavy emotions many people experience.
A 2018 survey conducted by LinkedIn found that 80% of Americans worry about the upcoming work week on Sundays. When the researchers broke down this alarming number by generation, it revealed that over 90% of Millennials and Gen Z reported they feel it. The findings also revealed there are many reasons people experience this unique anxiousness. But some of the top causes are worrying about the workload (60%), balancing professional and personal to-do’s (44%), and thinking about the tasks you didn't finish last week (39%).
Another survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine also found that Sunday scaries especially affect the younger generations. "Survey data show that more than a quarter of respondents (26%) — including about a third of Generation Z (32%) and Millennials (34%) — always, almost always or often have a harder time falling asleep on Sunday nights compared with other nights of the week," the results reveal. What keeps people up at night? Worries about their jobs, in most cases.
Unfortunately, when workers constantly feel these regularly scheduled nerves and disruptive thoughts on the eve before a workweek, it can harm their physical and mental health. "If you are constantly feeling dread at the end of the weekend in anticipation of going back to work, then you have a challenge," psychologist Klapow said.
"Your job is creating a negative vibe and emotional reaction that is not good for your mental health. And that can take a toll on your well-being," he added. "If every weekend, you both can’t wait to get there and can’t face the end of the weekend, your body and mind are going through a stress roller-coaster. The more ups and downs and the more you count on things not going well, the more negative, stressed, pessimistic you will be."
But the good news is that there are ways to mitigate Sunday scaries. "Plan, plan plan," Klapow advised. "As much as you’d like to enjoy the weekend, if you know that every Sunday you will start stressing, then make a list, carve out dedicated time on Sunday to get ready for Monday."
The psychologist suggested making sure the Sunday scaries wouldn't sneak up on you. "The act of planning for Monday, even if it's a to-do list, will help reduce the uncertainty we all often feel about what will happen on Monday. The act of writing the list itself will help reduce the swirling thoughts you have," Klapow said.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a few other ways to cope are to take time for yourself over the weekend and work on some Sunday projects. "Engaging your mind and gearing up for the workweek can help ease the transition from relaxation to work mode. Do your meal prep. Put a piece of furniture together or clean. Mindless tasks can help you get ready for the week ahead."
Moreover, it’s crucial to get a full night’s rest on Friday and Saturday. While not everyone has a perfect sleep schedule, it’s something many strive for. "Getting enough sleep can help you feel at your best the next day so you can start your week on the right foot."
