You know the feeling exactly.
It usually hits around 4:00 PM on Sunday. The sun starts to go down a little bit. The weekend isn’t technically over, but suddenly, the air feels heavier.
Your brain stops thinking about relaxation and starts thinking about emails, alarms, and that meeting you have tomorrow morning.
You are suffering from the Sunday Scaries.
It is the moment when the weekend stops being “fun” and starts being “pre-Monday.” instead of enjoying your last few hours of freedom, you spend them worrying about the week ahead.
But here is the good news. You aren’t hating your life. You are just experiencing “Anticipatory Anxiety.”
The Science of “Smonday”
There is actually a word for this. People call it “Smonday.” It is the moment when Sunday stops feeling like Sunday and starts feeling like Monday.
This happens because your brain loves certainty. The weekend is safe. The work week is uncertain. When you look ahead at five days of work, your brain triggers a “Fight or Flight” response, even though you are just sitting on your couch watching Netflix.
It steals your joy. You ruin the present moment by worrying about a future moment that hasn’t even happened yet.
3 Ways to Reclaim Your Sunday
You cannot stop Monday from coming, but you can stop it from ruining your Sunday. Here is how to quiet the anxiety.
1. Write Your “Monday List” on Friday
The main reason we panic on Sunday is that we are trying to remember everything we need to do. We are afraid we will forget something.
The Fix: Before you leave work on Friday afternoon, spend 5 minutes writing a To-Do list for Monday morning.
Leave it on your desk. Now, your brain knows that the information is safe. You don’t need to “hold” it in your head all weekend. You have permission to disconnect.
2. Plan a “Sunday Fun” Event
If the only thing you have planned for Sunday evening is “dread,” of course you will feel anxious.
Give your brain something else to focus on. Plan a specific activity for Sunday night. It could be ordering your favorite takeout, watching a specific show, or taking a long bath.
Make Sunday night a reward, not a funeral for the weekend.
3. Do Not Check Email
This is the golden rule. Do not open your work email on Sunday.
If you check email, you invite the stress in. You can’t solve the problems until Monday anyway, so seeing them now only ruins your mood. Keep the door closed until your alarm goes off.
Conclusion
Sunday is still part of the weekend. You earned these days of rest.
Don’t let the shadow of Monday steal the light of your Sunday. Take a deep breath, put your phone away, and enjoy the evening.
Tell me in the comments: What time does the Sunday dread hit you? Is it right after lunch, or right before bed?
