Do you regularly experience feelings of anxiety and, well, impending doom, on a Sunday evening as you brace yourself or the work or school week ahead?
Do you find that your irritable mood gets in the way of enjoying the little free time you have left of the weekend, time that you could spend relaxing and spending time doing what you love?
Well, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The term for what you’re feeling is the ‘Sunday blues’, or the ‘Sunday scaries’, and most people experience these feelings on a Sunday afternoon.
We work too hard during the week to waste the short time we get to ourselves worrying about what needs to be done the next week, or what we didn’t get done sooner. Isn’t Sunday in particular supposed to be a day of rest?
Here are a few ways to have a stress-free Sunday, and build a positive mindset for the coming week.
Plan Out The Next Week On Friday Afternoon
Then, do not even look at that to-do list until Monday morning. A big part of Sunday blues is the stress we feel when we think of everything that needs to be done in the coming week.
It is difficult not to remember this seemingly never-ending list on a Sunday evening when the week is just about to start. Having your plan sorted by Friday evening means you can switch that part of your brain off for the weekend, and avoid panic on a Sunday evening.
Practice Mindfulness or Self-Care
If you tend to feel anxious and irritable on Sundays, introducing mindfulness into your routine can really help calm and uplift you. You could dedicate a simple ten minutes to breathing exercises or meditation in the evening, or perhaps you’d prefer to go for a long walk in nature.
Self-care practices are also a good way to boost your mood when you’re stressed or upset. Run yourself a nice warm bath, light some candles and relax in the soapy water for as long as you like.
Order your favourite takeaway, get into your comfiest pyjamas and binge watch Sex and the City, or power through a book you’ve been meaning to read. Dedicating time every Sunday for activities like this can not only boost your mood and relieve anxiety, but it also gives you a reason to enjoy Sundays.
Plan Something Fun
Why not give yourself something to look forward to on a Sunday? Host a lunch and invite your friends over. Or go out for a nice dinner and drinks.
If you have a hobby that you don’t get much time to do during the week, why not dedicate time to it every Sunday? Keeping yourself busy doing fun things leaves less time for anxiety to creep in, as you’re spending less time in your head and more time out with people and hobbies you love.
Set Boundaries
If your work week ends on a Friday afternoon and starts again on a Monday morning, there is no reason for you to be checking your emails or answering work calls in the time between.
Set those boundaries straight away, and don’t feel like you need to compromise the time you have to yourself for your job. Keep your work laptop turned off for the weekend.
If you struggle with Sunday blues, try to make sure that you are not bringing any work home with you for the evening, and don’t be afraid to let your colleagues and leaders know that you do not work on the weekends. They’re not going to hate you.
Exercise
You’re probably sick of hearing the word exercise as the solution to literally everything, but it is the perfect remedy for those Sunday scaries.
Not only does working out boost your mood and energy levels, but it also gives all that pent-up anxiety and emotion inside you a way out that doesn’t hurt you or ruin your day. If you feel anxious on Sundays, why not go for a run and get it all out of your system? You’ll feel much better afterwards.
Exercises like yoga and pilates can have the same effect, but these workout styles also give you the opportunity to practise mindfulness and leave you feeling relaxed and ready to tackle anything!
Words by Aicha Chalouche