I always look forward to Friday afternoons. The weekend is quickly approaching and the stress and workload of work gets put on pause until the next week. Weekends are 2 days of fun, excitement, and joy. Come Sunday late afternoon or evening, the anxiety, stress, and feelings of being overwhelmed creep back in as Monday morning is on the forefront.
This is very normal and most people experience the anticipatory anxiety of the next week ahead. The common symptoms are tight chest, body aches, short fuse, and racing thoughts. As with any anxiety, there are a multitude of other symptoms that show up.
The presenting causes are a big project on the horizon, tight deadlines, overflowing inbox, and arbitrary goals set my management. Typically we are able to deal with the anxiety by completely avoiding and get sucked in by our Netflix shows. Others prefer to work fearlessly ahead to feel accomplished and ahead of the game. Still others create different scenarios in their head and predict the outcome so they feel prepared. That can be exhausting and nearly impossible to predict future events.
So, how do we deal with Sunday Scaries? For some, meal prepping, setting out clothes, and finding life hacks to save time is helpful. Another method is creating ‘me time’ on Sunday to do something you enjoy and look forward to doing. It could be a bubble bath, getting out in nature, an exhilarating workout, or cuddling up with loved ones on the couch. Another option would be to plan something fun for Monday. It always feels good to have something to look forward to doing. Last, but not least is how to approach your week. Could it be an opportunity for you and a chance to grow? Mindset and the things we tell ourselves directly impact our day. The difference between “I’m going to have a great” day to “Another day in suckville” is profound.
Have a great week!