How do I avoid "Sunday Scaries"? 🗓️ 😱

Tanya had an amazing Saturday full of social engagements, productivity, fresh outdoor air, laughter, and fun!

Despite all this, Tanya wakes up on Sunday feeling all sorts of negative emotions as she thinks about the upcoming week.

Sound familiar?

You, like Tanya, might be experiencing the "Sunday Scaries".

Don't worry!

Learning about the symptoms and remedies is the first step to turning those scary emotions into fantastic ones.

If you go to school/work from Monday to Friday, then Sunday may feel like a disappointing lead-up to the dreaded week.

Sunday Scaries are the rush of negative emotions and thoughts that can really ruin the end of your weekend and the start of your week.

These feelings can be linked to anticipatory anxiety — a high level of anxiety before a future event. Some level of anticipatory anxiety is common, but you should be concerned if negative feelings start to dominate your thoughts and you're experiencing these symptoms:

• temporary difficulty sleeping

• headaches

• racing heart

• trembling

• depression

Take care of your mental health

• Set a positive work-life balance and avoid working when you're not on the clock

• Put your devices away for at least 30 minutes before going to bed

• Try different forms of meditation

• Address any underlying concerns that are enhancing these negative emotions

Take care of your physical health

• Exercise

• Stretch

• Get fresh air

• Sleep at least 7-9 hours daily

Create a Sunday plan

• Take on a project (home renovation, arts & crafts, etc)

• Go play a sport or hike

• Visit family and friends

• Read a book

Create a weekday plan

• Have something to look forward to on Monday (movie night, take-out food, dance class, etc.)

• Break up the weekwith short events and outings that don't exhaust you but keep you engaged

• Have a friend at work/school that you can get excited about seeing and talking to

"Scaries" is a cute way to disguise the real anxieties and fears we face on a Sunday. If these feelings go past Sunday and affect your day-to-day life, you may want to consider speaking with a mental health professional.

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

Signs you may need professional help:

• Difficulty getting to or maintaining sleeping daily or often

• Loss of appetite throughout the week

• Lack of motivation to complete your work

• Lack of motivation to engage with others

• Struggle with maintaining relationships

Check out this Byte on how to find the right mental health professional.

Now it is time to take matters into your own hands. Change begins with you!