What Are the Sunday Scaries?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionCausesSolutionsWhen to Seek Help

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Definition

Causes

Solutions

When to Seek Help

What Are Sunday Scaries?

The Cleveland Clinic defines Sunday Scaries as “feelings of intense anxiety and dread that routinely occur every Sunday.”

While these feelings generally begin to appear later in the day, someone withhigher levels of anxietymay start to experience them earlier, even upon waking.

Along with having anxiety on Sunday nights, someone with the Sunday Scaries might notice other symptoms as well. Symptoms of Sunday anxiety can range from increased sweating, upset stomach, headache, andtrouble sleepingto more severe manifestations such as depression or even a heart attack.

Causes of Anxiety on Sunday Nights

There are a few potential reasons for feelings of anxiety on Sunday nights. Among them are:

Press Play for Advice On Dealing With a Toxic WorkplaceThis episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring business expert Heather Monahan, shares how to survive a toxic workplace. Click below to listen now.

Press Play for Advice On Dealing With a Toxic Workplace

This episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring business expert Heather Monahan, shares how to survive a toxic workplace. Click below to listen now.

How To Ease Sunday Anxiety

Make Sleep a Priority

Do a “Brain Dump”

Take a few minutes on Sunday night and write down all the things that are contributing to your anxiety. Putting your thoughts on paper gets them out of your mind, freeing it for more feel-good emotions. It also relieves any worries that you might forget something on your to-do list because it is now written down.

How to Minimize Morning Anxiety

Separate Home and Work

When you notice your brain shifting to work on Sunday afternoon or evening, immediately push those thoughts from your head. Tell yourself that Monday will be here soon enough and you can deal with your work-related issues then.

If youwork from home, separating your personal and professional life may be more difficult. It can help to create a designated workspace for when you are “on the job.” Not going into this space on Sunday keeps your mind off work, also relieving your Sunday anxiety.

How to Develop Work-Life Balance

Address Workplace Bullying

Workplace bullying is associated with higher levels of anxiety.When you know that someone is going to mistreat you or push you around when you return to work on Monday, it is only natural to experience anxiety on Sunday nights.

If you face this type of behavior at work, ways toconfront workplace bullyinginclude:

Depending on your situation, regulatory agencies such as theEqual Opportunity Employment Commissionand theU.S. Department of Labormay be able to help. If you can’t get the bully to stop, you might also consider contacting your local police or an attorney for assistance.

Turn Off Work Notifications

Unless you absolutely cannot turn off your workplace notifications, such as if you are on call, put them on mute every Friday when you leave work. This can prevent them from interrupting your time off, reducing your Sunday anxiety in the process.

For some people, “spending an hour checking emails or reviewing your upcoming work schedule can help alleviate the ‘Sunday Scaries,'” says Dr. Goldman, “because you know what you’re walking into on Monday.” If this sounds like you, setting aside a designated period of time on Sunday nights may help.

The Stress of Constantly Checking Your Phone

Practice Relaxation Strategies

If you experience anxiety on Sunday nights, another option is to use this time to engage in activities that are designed to relax you. By getting your mind and body to release the tension they hold, your anxiety can slip away as well, providing some much-desired relief.

Here are some effective strategies for feeling more relaxed both mentally and physically:

“No matter what you pick, make sure it is relaxing and distracting,” says Dr. Goldman. “You don’t want to be in the bathtub and have your mind still at work. Find things that truly relax you and take you out of your work head.”

Stay Active on Sundays

This might be a good time to meet up with friends and have a few laughs, finishing your weekend on a high note instead of wrestling with Sunday anxiety. You might also look for fun events in your area or take a Sunday night class.

Create a Weekly Plan

For some people, Sunday Scaries occur because they have a lot to do during the week but are unsure how they’ll get it all done. This is where weekly planning comes in handy. By creating an outline of how you’ll tackle your to-do list, your brain is able to relax.

Make a note of things you need to do each day. If you’re working on a bigger project, breaking it down into a series of small steps can help keep you from feeling overwhelmed. It also gives you a bunch of smaller wins throughout your week, which motivates you to keep moving forward.

Make Mondays a Day You Look Forward To

If you get anxious on Sunday nights because you dread the start of a new work week, schedule Monday activities that you will look forward to. This turns your Sunday anxiety into excitement as you anticipate the event you’ve scheduled for the next day. Some ideas can include:

Leave Breathing Room in Your Week

While staying busy during the week can help you get things done, if your weekdays are too full, it can lead to Sunday anxiety. You know that you’re about to face non-stop activities and your brain starts to gear up for it.

One way to combat this is to give yourself a little breathing room in your weekly schedule. Leave some open time between meetings or other obligations so you don’t feel as rushed. Also, block out a few nights each week where you don’t schedule anything, giving your body and mind time to recharge.

If you face extreme anxiety on Sunday nights or you’ve tried everything to get rid of the Sunday Scaries with no luck, a mental health professional can help. A counselor or therapist can help get to the source of your Sunday anxiety and provide tips for overcoming it.

If you or a loved one are struggling with anxiety, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

There are several types oftherapy effective for easing anxiety, includingcognitive-behavioral therapyandart therapy,along with many others. So, you don’t have to just accept anxiety as part of your Sunday routine. Instead, learn how to deal with your feelings of anxiousness in a way that keeps them at bay, giving you the opportunity to enjoy yourself all weekend long.

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Cleveland Clinic.What are the ‘Sunday Scaries’?

Heitmann B.Your guide to winning @work: Decoding the Sunday Scaries. LinkedIn.

Depner CM, Melanson EL, Eckel RH, et al.Ad libitum weekend recovery sleep fails to prevent metabolic dysregulation during a repeating pattern of insufficient sleep and weekend recovery sleep.Curr Biol. 2019;29(6):957-967. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2019.01.069

Rodríguez-Muñoz A, Moreno-Jiménez B, Sanz-Vergel AI.Reciprocal relations between workplace bullying, anxiety, and vigor: a two-wave longitudinal study.Anxiety Stress Coping. 2015;28(5):514-530. doi:10.1080/10615806.2015.1016003

Toussaint L, Nguye QA, Roettger C, et al.Effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery in promoting psychological and physiological states of relaxation.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021;2021:5924040. doi:10.1155/2021/5924040

Carpenter JK, Andrews LA, Witcraft SM, Powers MB, Smits JA, Hofmann SG.Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and related disorders: A meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.Depress Anxiety. 2018;35(6):502-514. doi:10.1002/da.22728

Abbing A, Baars EW, de Sonneville L, Ponstein AS, Swaab H.The effectiveness of art therapy for anxiety in adult women: A randomized controlled trial.Front Psychol. 2019;10:1203. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01203

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?

What Are Sunday Scaries?#

Causes of Anxiety on Sunday Nights#

Press Play for Advice On Dealing With a Toxic Workplace#

How To Ease Sunday Anxiety#

Make Sleep a Priority#

Do a “Brain Dump”#

Separate Home and Work#

Address Workplace Bullying#

Turn Off Work Notifications#

Practice Relaxation Strategies#

Stay Active on Sundays#

Create a Weekly Plan#

Make Mondays a Day You Look Forward To#

Leave Breathing Room in Your Week#