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The Sunday scaries are a form of anticipatory stress.

Small, intentional practices can help ease the transition into a new week and give Sunday back to you.

Persistent Sunday dread may be a signal that something needs to change.

It's Sunday afternoon. You've finally checked off all the things keeping your life outside work afloat, so you exhale, but the rest is short-lived. An old, familiar, yet unwelcome feeling starts to grow. You notice a shorter fuse with the people you love. Your mood plummets as your mind races and your anxiety spikes. That's when you know, as if on cue, the Sunday scaries are back.

What Are the Sunday Scaries?

The Sunday scaries are this creeping sense of dread, anxiety, or uneasiness that shows up as the weekend winds down. It is what we call "anticipatory stress," a reaction to what we think is coming, not necessarily to what is happening right now.

For some, it can show up as irritability or a mind that won't slow down. For others, it might be trouble falling asleep or a heavy sense of dread within. Whatever form they take, they are a familiar emotional reality and experience for many, and they're not always just about work. Children, students, parents, and caregivers can experience their own version of the Sunday scaries as they anticipate what's ahead. For strategies to help children cope, I invite you to read my previous post.

Why We Get the Sunday Scaries

Our brains are constantly scanning ahead, trying to anticipate challenges and keep us safe. Worries about workload, balancing personal and professional to-dos, and carrying unfinished tasks into a new week are all commonly reported as contributing to the familiar sense of unease. A recent study out of the University of Exeter found that 79% of people experience........

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