For the past several weeks, I have noticed that as soon as it is around Sunday afternoon or early evening, I start to feel anxious and a bit irritable. That led me to not being productive with my time. I would spend the time procrastinating.
What I ended up learning about is a term called the “Sunday Scaries,” which is when you start to get that anxious feeling between 5:00pm and 7:00pm on Sundays due to the impending work and responsibilities that you’d have to face on Monday. I decided that I’d try a couple of different strategies to help me manage this better so that I can enjoy my Sundays as much as I can without feeling as though my weekend was too short and I don’t accomplish anything on my to-do list.
Create a Sunday Ritual.
Since I know I start to feel uneasy during the afternoon, what I have started incorporating is several activities that help me relax and make me feel safe.
One example is going on a long walk with my partner’s family dog, S. Whenever I go out on a walk with him, I listen to a podcast about self-help, personal development, and/or productivity in one ear. I also pay attention to where we’re walking and check to see how S. is doing and if he needs anything.
Another example is finding time to do a more thorough skincare routine by incorporating a face mask on Sundays. On most days, I do the minimum such as cleansing, moisturizing, and putting on sunscreen. But on Sundays, I have decided to incorporate the face mask as part of the routine. Having that on for about 20-30 minutes help me relax.
free-write in my journal.
I usually like to write in my journal whenever there is a thought that I just cannot get out of my head or if there is a journal prompt that I can focus on. What is different about Sundays as opposed to other days is allowing myself to free-write and writing down what I’m experiencing as a way of checking in with myself.
If there is something bothering me, I want to make a note of it and find a way to address that. If something is giving me anxiety, I don’t want that feeling to take away my Sunday. How I feel matters to me. For example, I try my best not to check my work emails over the weekend, because that is one activity that would give me anxiety and make me worry about things that have not happened yet. I view my weekend as my personal time, and time is finite and something that I value.
Practice Mindfulness.
I recently was provided this resource called Take 5, which is a mindfulness and relaxation technique that is taught by Cory Muscara in the YouTube video. I make it intentional to incorporate this on Sundays. I don’t want to ruminate about the past, nor do I want to worry so much about the future. What I want to focus on is the present moment.
looking ahead…
Wishing you off to a great Monday and week! If you also deal with the “Sunday Scaries,” hope you get to practice some techniques and strategies that are helpful. 💜