Ah yes, the Sunday scaries. Or really, the whatever-day-of-the-week-before-going-back-to-work scaries. It’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ve felt this at one point or another. As much as you might love your job, not having to go into work really has its perks sometimes. Now, there are certainly plenty of products out there aimed at helping with the pre-work stress — but for a variety of reasons, not everyone can or wants to opt for those. We’ve pulled together a list of tips to help you tackle the Sunday scaries.
Put the Emails Down
You only have so much time off of work. If your job requires any form of communication — like emails or Slack messages — try to avoid checking them before you need to the next day.
Start the Weekend On Time
Want to know a great way to make your weekend feel even shorter? Leave late on your Friday. If you can, avoid letting those work hours stretch too far into your time off.
Set Boundaries
If you’re struggling with feeling like your job is leaking into your personal life on your off time, set clear boundaries with the higher ups. That means they can’t expect you to pick up the phone, answer emails, or take up an added shift. Not everyone is in a work position to set firm boundaries, but if you can, do it.
Do Nothing
Doing nothing isn’t nothing. That might sound like a weird sentence, but it’s true! Not every moment of your day needs to be productive. Rest is a good thing all on its own.
Be Realistic
Do you have a to-do list about a mile long at the start of your weekend? Unless you feel very confident that you’ll actually be able to tackle it all, cut yourself some slack. If you constantly feel like you’re running out of time, you’re really not going to love it when Sunday evening rolls around and you haven’t checked everything off.
Pay Attention to the Clock
Researchers have actually nailed down the average time for Sunday scaries to begin: 3:58pm. Check to see if this is true for you. Knowing when to expect an emotional change can help you figure out how to control it.
Chores First
Want to ruin your weekend even more? Then save your chores for the last minute. It’s a great way to make it feel like work starts Sunday night instead of Monday morning.
Plan Something Fun
You might want to skip the alcohol to avoid a Monday morning hangover, but you you can still plan to go out and do something fun on Sunday evenings.
Make Monday Mornings Pleasant
Do you enjoy an over-the-top coffee every once in a while? Or a favorite podcast or playlist? Reserve it for Monday morning on your way to work.
Try a Little Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is an easy way to make yourself feel a bit better. Try listing off all the little things you’re grateful for about your job or your life in general. Hopefully you at least get to work with people whose company you enjoy.
