Are your Sundays filled with dread? Do you feel anxiety thinking about the upcoming week? You might just have a case of the Sunday Scaries. According to Headspace, Sunday Scaries is the feeling of dread you get the day before you head back to work, usually after the weekend. It can cause increased anxiety and stress about future events in the upcoming week.

But the good thing is you don't have to struggle through the 'scaries'. There are ways to help manage that imagined impending doom.

You might be the type of person who, come Friday afternoon, leaves the office with a full to-do list for your Monday self to worry about. While 'Friday you' is free of responsibilities and able to let loose for the weekend, come Sunday evening those things you put off for Monday come creeping back into your mind, and then helloooo anxiety! Don't leave those heavy tasks for Monday morning, instead try and get through themon Friday to relieve some of the pressure.

Create a Sunday self-care routine to help reduce the feelings of anxiety as Monday approaches. Pick out things that help you relax, whether that's baking, reading or having dinner with a loved one. You'll feel less apprehension going into the new week when you've done something the day before that fills you with peace.

Mondays often come with a lot of stress as it's usually the busiest day of the week. Whether that's catching up on emails or writing a new to-do list with all the new tasks that have come from Monday morning meetings, it's no wonder Mondays can be stressful. But instead of rushing into things and trying to do everything at once - which only causes more stress and overwhelm - it's best to start off slow. Manage your time and energy, so you can step into the week rather than running full steam ahead. Your mental health will thank you for it.

Make your Monday mornings more enjoyable so you have something good to look forward to. Stop by your favourite coffee shop before work or plan something fun for Monday evening, try an art class or go to the movies, anything which will make you look forward to the Monday ahead.

Monday mornings feel so terrible because we tend to associate them with having to get through a whole week, so Monday is not just "Monday" in our mind, it's MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday. It's no wonder it feels heavy and burdensome! Try breaking your week down into chunks, with rewards in the middle. Plan a Tuesday night movie night or date night, and then tell yourself you just have to get there. Our brains are pretty clever, but we can still trick them! Telling yourself "I just have to get through these first two days" will feel much more achievable than looking down the barrel to Friday afternoon.

The occasional feeling of Sunday scaries is common and is usually forgotten about once Monday does roll around. But if it does continue on as part of a l, it might be a sign of something more. It's best to contact your GP, psychologist or have a chat to the Sonder team who can provide support.

If you have any questions or need extra support, we're here to help you anytime in any language. Simply start a chat with us via the home screen of the Sonder app.

Information sourced from: Headspace, Cleveland Clinic and LSJ

Image credit: Matthew Henry on Unsplash

All content is created and published for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice.