For many of us that sinking Sunday afternoon sadness that the weekend is nearly over is all too familiar. As is the surge of anxiety that accompanies thoughts of Monday’s to-do list. Over three quarters of Gen Z and millennials, and 67 per cent of all UK adults, regularly experience a sense dread on a Sunday. The “Sunday scaries” as they’ve been named, are very real.
Dr Naheed Ali, a Senior Contributor at Vera Clinic, describes it as, “A mix of anxiety, fatigue and the mental switch from relaxation back to responsibility.”
The good news is that there are ways to manage them. Dr Ali and other experts share their tips on how to head into the working week without a nagging sense of unease.
Pave the way on Friday
Psychologist Maria-Teresa Daher-Cusack always spends time on the last working day of the week planning for when she returns to work. “I wrap up tasks on a Friday and create a clear to-do list for the following Monday,” she says. “That way I know what to expect in the new week and my Sunday isn’t spent dreading the unknown.”
When she is at work she focuses all her attention on her tasks. “When I’m at home I can then set boundaries and avoid looking at emails and messages relating to work on the weekend. This is time for me to truly wind down and recharge ready for the week ahead.”
Get outside early
To save himself from the “pit in the stomach feeling” on Sundays, Dr Ali has a morning ritual making time for fresh air and movement first thing. He says it helps regulate the circadian rhythm that can become skewed over the weekend. Even if it’s 20 minutes, it sets a better tone for his day and makes sleep more likely.
Create space to unplug
A vital part of Daher-Cusack’s Sunday is spending time away from technology. “Everything I do involves some kind of computer screen or mobile phone so being able to not have to constantly be online allows a reset,” she says, She deliberately limits her screen time at the weekends, consciously making an effort to not “doom scroll” for hours.
Learn to rebrand Sunday evenings
“The unknown of the week ahead or anticipation of a busy week can be daunting so it’s important to make your Sundays as relaxing and fulfilling as possible,” says Daher-Cusack. She keeps herself busy to occupy her mind and avoid worrying thoughts, usually by taking a walk or saving a good film to look forward to watching in the evening.
The trick, according to McLean, is to stop treating Sunday as a pre-Monday and to find a way to actively enjoy it. Her evenings involve going out for dinner or reading something unrelated to work to give her brain “permission to relax”. Downtime on the weekend needs protecting, she says, recommending never checking your email inbox on a Sunday.
Give yourself the best chance of sleep
It’s no secret that sleep is important for overall mental health but almost one in five people in the UK aren’t getting enough of it. Daher-Cusack makes sure to get between seven and eight hours sleep on a Sunday night. “Getting a good sleep prior to the first working day of the week will be beneficial,” she says.
Sleep expert Mark Tremlett, from Naturalmat, agrees that sleep is the key to combating the Sunday scaries and recommends cutting out caffeine eight hours before bedtime, reducing alcohol consumption, putting screens away and avoiding large meals before winding down. Dr Ali agrees, and doesn’t have caffeine in the afternoon leading to bed. “A lot of people don’t realise how long caffeine lingers in the system. If you have a cup of coffee at 4pm, it’s still affecting your brain at midnight.”
For those who wake in the wee hours and find it hard to get back to sleep, Dr Ali is an advocate of short breathwork sessions, which slow the heart rate and calm the nervous system. Try a 4-7-8 breathing technique (inhale for four counts, hold for seven, exhale for eight) to reduce pre-Monday stress.
Structure your week carefully
Although it’s not always possible, Dr Ali always ensures his Mondays aren’t stacked with high-pressure tasks. “I ease into the week with things that are engaging but not overwhelming,” he says. “That alone can take the edge off.”
Happiness expert and founder of Joy Unplugged Chloe Markham says the key is designing a Monday you want to wake up to. “Even one tweak can shift the energy,” she says. For her, starting with creative work, exercise or blocking time out of the calendar to really focus helps.
Career consultant Victoria McLean agrees. “I design my Mondays to work for me, not against me,” she says. “The first hour sets the tone for the whole day”. McLean’s starts with a walk, a workout or five quiet minutes with a coffee to give her some time for herself before jumping into her email inbox. “I don’t let Monday be isolating,” Mclean adds, saying that she schedules a chat with a friend or close colleague.
Find the fun every day
Markham suggests adding small enjoyable moments into the whole week. “We tend to crowbar all our most joyful things into the weekend making that end of week sadness a reality,” she says. “It’s another five days until more joyful things happen.” On her lunch breaks, she goes on coffee dates, dances in the kitchen or reads a good book – anything that invites the feel-good feeling.
Daher-Cusack finds enjoyment in journalling. It helps her “note any worries” and set her mental health and mind straight for work the following day.
But sometimes you need to listen
“If the Sunday scaries are constant, listen to them,” says McLean. “Sometimes they’re trying to tell you something. If every Sunday fills you with dread and nothing seems to quell it it’s worth asking if it’s the job, the culture or the career itself. No one should spend half their weekend bracing for impact.”
