How to Cope with the Sunday Scaries

You may not know it has a name, but you’ve probably experienced it—that creeping sense of dread that comes over you on Sunday night, as the prospect of going back to school or work looms closer. It’s called the Sunday scaries, and young adults are more prone to it than other age groups, according to a new survey.

Uncertainty and fear around world events, plus the internal stress of trying to do their best at college or in the workplace, takes a toll on young people. And arriving at the end of the weekend magnifies these feelings of anxiety.

Key Takeaways

• The “Sunday scaries” is a term for the anxiety caused by negative anticipation of the week ahead.
• Ongoing stressors, like world events and environmental issues, can make everyday anxieties about work or school worse.
• To cope with Sunday-afternoon anxiety, make a positive plan for the evening and for Monday morning.
• If Sunday scaries don’t get better as the week goes on, they may actually be symptoms of an underlying anxiety disorder.

What Causes Sunday Scaries Symptoms?

While there’s nothing new about dreading Monday morning, the state of the world has magnified the intensity of Sunday scaries anxiety. Additionally, young adults experience the pressure to achieve at work as well as academic pressure, increasing that Sunday afternoon feeling of doom.

According to the new survey, Gen Z is most stressed on Sundays about:

• The tasks they need to complete during the week (33 percent)
• Uncertainty about how the week will unfold (28 percent)
• Feeling burnt out and exhausted (20 percent)
• Not feeling ready for the week ahead (18 percent)

Why Are Young People More Vulnerable to Sunday Scaries?

Young adults are at a stage of life when they are still shaping their identity, honing their skills, and developing self-worth and self-confidence. Therefore, accomplishments and approval at work or in school take on greater importance. Furthermore, young people often have an extreme fear of failure, believing that their success or lack of it says something fundamental about who they are and what their future will look like.

With all that on the line, it’s no wonder that young adults are more vulnerable to the Sunday scaries than any other age group. Moreover, when they graduate from high school or college, they may experience “summer scaries“—which can feel like Sunday scaries times 100.

8 Strategies for Coping with the Sunday Scaries

If you’re finding yourself dreading Monday morning on a weekly basis, try these therapist-approved approaches for dealing with Sunday scaries anxiety.

1. Make plans for Sunday evening and for Monday morning

To avoid falling into Sunday scaries mode, schedule a fun self-care activity in the late afternoon or early evening on Sunday—a yoga or meditation class, a run or hike, a visit to a museum, or dinner with friends. If possible, also add something to your Monday-morning schedule that you can look forward to—like coffee with a colleague or classmate, a brainstorming or group study session, a walking meeting, or at the very least, a 15-minute break to go outside and get some fresh air.

2. Get a good night’s sleep

In case you wake up in the night dreading Monday, keep a notebook beside your bed so you can write down any random to-dos or priorities that pop into your head. Or journal about the Sunday scaries that are keeping you up. Writing down your fears and worries can help you get some perspective on what’s real versus what you’ve exaggerated.

3. Consider what you can change about your week—and life

If your Sunday scaries anxiety is based on actual threats you face at work or in school, versus imagined threats or fear of what might happen, explore what you may be able to change in order to address the issues that are causing you stress. Could you talk to your supervisor or academic advisor about shifting your schedule, environment, or workload? Sometimes we get so used to being anxious that we forget the fact that even small changes can make a big difference to quality of life at work or in school.

4. Remember why you want to show up on Monday

What do you value and appreciate about your job or academic pursuits? Why did you choose this path in the first place? What are you learning that will help you accomplish your next goal? Once you’ve revisited those positives, write yourself a note or create a shorthand phrase that you can easily bring to mind when you’re feeling Sunday stress.

5. Unplug over the weekend

Especially if you’re working remotely, you might feel tempted to stay on top of things by glancing at emails or doing a few catch-up tasks. But checking out entirely will help you revitalize and rebuild energy for the work week. You might even find that you’re looking forward to getting back to a project once you step away from it for a while.

6. Try doing a “Bare Minimum Monday”

Bare Minimum Mondays are just what they sound like—easing slowly into the workweek rather than jumping in feet first. For example, schedule meetings for later in the week, or choose easier projects to warm up with on Monday morning. However, Bare Minimum Mondays should be used sparingly, as they have both pros and cons.

7. Limit your alcohol and drug use

Partying over the weekend can make Sunday scaries symptoms worse by diminishing your physical and emotional stress resilience. If you spend most of Sunday getting over a hangover (and the hangxiety that comes with it), you’ve lost half your weekend. And you’re also less likely to feel ready to face work or classes on Monday morning—not to mention the other negative effects of substance use.

8. Connect with others who don’t like Mondays

Since so many young people struggle with dreading Monday, chances are you’ll find a few of them in your friend group. Maybe you can create a Sunday scaries support group that gets together to do Sunday afternoon activities or share anxiety-relieving tips. You could even start a Monday-morning text or Slack thread filled with encouragement for each other. Knowing that you’re not alone makes the Sunday scaries, like everything else, easier to bear.

Are You Just Dreading Mondays? Or Is it an Anxiety Disorder?

Dreading Mondays is a common experience. Even when you feel great about work or school, it can still be hard to leave the freedom of the weekend behind—especially when it’s over too soon because you’ve spent most of it catching up on rest, laundry, grocery shopping, and all the other tasks that come with “adulting.”

However, it’s important to recognize when the Sunday blues are actually a symptom of an anxiety disorder or another mental health issue. It’s essential to seek help if:

• The scaries persist beyond Sundays
• Feelings of anxiety have become more severe
• You’re unable to function well at work or in school
• You are relying on alcohol or drugs to cope with the anxiety
• Work or academic projects that you used to enjoy no longer give you satisfaction or enjoyment.

Treating What’s Underneath the Sunday Scaries

Newport Institute’s specialized treatment for young adults addresses the trauma, attachment issues, and lack of self-worth at the root of mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, social anxiety, and depression. We use modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy to help young people examine their behavior and thought patterns, and create healthier ways of seeing themselves and their lives.

As they build connections with themselves, their loved ones, and their larger community, young adults also reconnect with motivation, inspiration, and a sense of meaning and purpose that will guide their path forward. Contact us today to learn more about Newport Institute’s clinical model of care.