Are you afraid of Work? (Tackling the Sunday Scaries)

After a long work week there is nothing like closing your laptop or logging out one last time on a Friday afternoon and jumping into a weekend. When you’re in crunch mode, a weekend of relaxation is just the recipe for unwinding. That is, until Sunday rolls around and you start thinking about the truckload of work ahead of you. The closer you get to the end of Sunday the more you are filled with dread and stress. You’ve unfortunately officially got the Sunday Scaries…

Submitted for the consideration of the Midday Society

Getting through the Sunday Scaries to improve your weekends 

I learned the term “Sunday Scaries” when I started working for media agencies. Working 10-12 hours a day on ever changing deliverables, managing active campaigns in flight, and moon lighting on new business pitches is tough. This becomes increasingly difficult when Q4 rolls around. A lot of thinking goes into how your day is planned, and prioritizing tasks for the week to keep things moving along is how we survive. That mental load spills into the weekend along with stress and anxiety, making it feel like an endless work week. 

The reality is, there is no special trick to eliminating the Sunday Scaries, like most things it takes practice to help keep your weekends sacred. Being honest with yourself that at times it’s going to be very difficult to block work from your mind. Instead you need to ask yourself “what will make me feel better in this moment?”. Sometimes that can mean allotting a narrow amount of time to organizing your emails or projects so that you stress less on the weekends feeling more prepared for the week ahead. 

Instead of feeling the dread, think about ways to manage it. Here are a few things that I’d recommend if you’re feeling the Sunday Scaries. 

• Create a To-Do List: Before the end of your work week, make a list of tasks you need to complete during the following week. This will help clear your mind of work-related jobs to be done, knowing that you have a plan in place.
• Set Boundaries: This one I personally find difficult but it’s important to note. Establishing clear boundaries between work and personal time is a constant balancing act. Try starting with turning off slack or Teams notifications on weekends and experiment with what works for you to “unplug”. 
• Complete Tasks Before the Weekend: Try to complete the most important tasks and tie up loose ends before the weekend. This will help alleviate the pressure of the upcoming week and help you enjoy your weekend. 
• Fill your weekend with joy: Fill your weekend with activities that you enjoy and find relaxing, whether it's spending time with family or friends, exercising, or simply unwinding with a binge of the latest show. For me playing the cello is my little escape from working in front of a computer all day.
• Limit Work-Related Activities: Do your best to not check work emails or do work-related tasks during the weekend. If it's more difficult to not look, try setting specific times to check emails and don’t go over that allotted time. The weekend is yours so don’t give it away. 
• Go Outdoors: This to me sounds a bit cliche but I have to admit it works, even for a city person like myself. Spending time outside can have a calming effect on your mind and body. Taking advantage of the weekend to go for a walk, hike, or just being outside can really relieve tension and stress. I like trying to get outdoors on Sundays to end my weekend in a relaxed state. 

Remember, it's up to you to find and maintain your balance, your job won't do it for you.