The Sunday Scaries are feelings of dread, anxiety, and sadness regarding the transition back to life routines.

What we do to cope with the Sunday Scaries may help in the moment but make the anxiety worse over time.

It can help to separate feelings from facts, tackle small goals, limit screen time, and plan excitement.

Friday takes forever to arrive. Once it does, it is met with a rush of excitement and relief. You head out of town, and the weekend passes in a blur of adventure. Suddenly, you find yourself bumping up to the weekend’s end.

You wake up on Sunday with a knot in your stomach.

Your thoughts spiral around to the pile of work waiting for you in the morning.

You look around at heaps of laundry, gear to unpack, and an empty fridge, and immediately feel overwhelmed.

You wonder why you can't just feel happy and relaxed after an exciting weekend away.

What Are the Sunday Scaries?

The Sunday Scaries are the feelings of pervasive dread, anticipatory anxiety, and sadness surrounding the end of the weekend and the transition back to life routines. For many, the Sunday Scaries marks the end of the most enjoyable, freeing part of the week and the return to “real life.”

Sunday Scaries can especially rear their ugly head after a weekend away, as there may be minimal transition time before heading back to work.

Coping With Sunday Scaries

Here’s the thing: It’s not the Sunday Scaries themselves that derail the end of your weekend. How you respond to them dictates what happens next.

Do you try to avoid the knot in your stomach by scrolling for an hour before getting out of bed?

Do you avoid unpacking because it just feels so........

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