Dealing with the dreaded Sunday Scares is one of the least enjoyable aspects of adulthood. Do you know that you can’t completely enjoy Sunday when you know you’ll have to return to work on Monday? It might be a frightening experience that detracts from the enjoyment of your Sunday.
I, for one, want to enjoy my Sundays without having to worry about work tasks for the week ahead. But how do you get rid of that feeling without looking like a slob on Monday? If all you can think about on your day off is work, I’ve put together a list of 7 recommendations to help you make the most of Sunday and get ready for the week ahead. That way, the impending arrival of Monday won’t ruin your Sunday mood.
What Are The Scary Sundays?
If you work Mondays, as most of us do, your Sunday will almost certainly include a nagging reminder that you’ll have to cope with work the next day. This can be a frightening experience, and it can make Sunday seem like the worst day of the week.
That’s where the Sunday Scaries notion comes into play. “The feeling of dread knowing that Monday is going to be tough,” says one definition of Sunday Scaries.
Even though I’m a student, I still get the Sunday Scaries if I haven’t planned for the week ahead. The thought of how many emails and assignments I’ve accumulated over the weekend or having to go through anything I didn’t finish last week isn’t exactly soothing.
Though many of us suffer from the Sunday Scaries, there are (thankfully) ways to overcome them and make Sundays a bit less stressful.
What To Do If You’re Scared On Sunday
On a Sunday evening, I do a few crucial things to get ready for the week. I don’t always accomplish these things exactly, but I notice that when I do, my week runs much more smoothly. Here are some things that assist me in getting ready for the week ahead:
- Figure out what’s causing the frights
If you find yourself dreading Mondays and feeling apprehensive on Sunday nights, it’s time to figure out why. When it comes to making changes in your life, the most important thing is to be aware.
Are you able to figure out why you’re getting the Sunday Scaries? What are your expectations? Is it something to do with your inbox? Is there a specific task? Do you have the impression you didn’t get enough out of your weekend? I propose getting a diary and jotting down some of your thoughts and views about this subject. You can then think of methods to make things easy for yourself.
- Make a week-by-week schedule
In Asana, I have a repeating task that reminds me of what I need to do to prepare for the week every Sunday. Because I have an automatic reminder, I don’t forget to accomplish these tasks. It involves chores such as reviewing my calendar and identifying projects and tasks to complete.
I review my job assignments and tasks for the week for roughly 15-30 minutes. I’ll schedule when I’ll work on each assignment and put it in my calendar. If I’m feeling courageous, I’ll check my inbox on Monday morning to make sure I haven’t been smacked by anything.
I always write my to-do list the night before, so I’ll have a firm (and sensible) strategy in place for Monday. I advocate against cramming too much into your Monday agenda because it will make Mondays much more difficult. It’s fine to do less if it means your to-do list can be completed.
- Make a mental dump list
If there seems to be an endless list of things to accomplish for the coming week, I’ll make a brain dump list to get everything off my mind. Then I classify the items on the list according to their importance.
- Organize and Clean
I’ll be the first to confess that I despise cleaning, but I also can’t operate in an environment where there’s chaos. On Sunday, I’ll spend around 45 minutes cleaning my room, doing laundry, watering my plants, and putting things back where they belong if they’ve wandered. I put on a lighthearted playlist and attempt to get through it as quickly as possible.
- Unwind & Relax
For the last couple hours before night, I attempt to rest completely. I’ll take a bath, watch a show (without the distraction of my phone), put on a face mask, and read a book.
I started staying offline on Sundays last year, and I believe it has helped me start the new week on a positive note. Taking a week off from social media has been extremely beneficial to my mental health.
Aditi Jain
Jaipuria Talks Blog 