Are you sick of spending your sunday nights riddled with anxiety?

Are you sick of spending your Sunday nights riddled with anxiety? 😫😫😫

I’m talking about that feeling of dread that comes over you when you realise the weekend is almost over and you have to show up for work in the morning. 

Struggling to sleep or feeling restless as you think about the week ahead… 
This is also known as “The Sunday Scaries”. 

Believe it or not there are many people who feel this way, they’re just not talking about it. 

The number one contributor is JOB DISSATISFACTION.

This can vary from a lack of fulfilment as your role doesn’t align with your interest or values, feeling like you aren’t progressing as quickly as you “should be” or even down to a toxic work environment where you don’t feel supported and having to deal with a demanding boss or difficult colleagues. 

Another contributing factor is an OVERWHELMING WORKLOAD AND/OR RESPONSIBILITIES. 

We’ve all been there - In a world where businesses are reducing their resources, the level of work doesn’t necessarily reduce so the work still needs to be completed. 

Realising on a Sunday that you have a 2 page to-do list for the upcoming week filled with challenging tasks or all the tasks you have been consciously putting off as it’s too hard basket can definitely feel overwhelming. Not to mention the team member who is on annual leave so you need to pick up their work as well. 

That feeling of unbalance between your work and your life, that your work is encroaching on your personal time which limits your ability to connect with your family and friends, relax or recharge as you have so much to do. 

I am a firm believer in work life integration versus balance; however when it is consistently skewed in the work direction this can lead you to burnout and make you dread heading to work on the Monday. This is something to be super conscious of for yourself and what that looks like for you as it varies person to person. 

It can even be fear of the unknown, uncertain what the week ahead holds, especially if your role is unpredictable or you are in a high pressure environment. 

Last but not least, one that a lot of people are all too familiar with INADEQUATE WORK LIFE BOUNDARIES. 

If the last few years have taught us anything; constant connectivity through our phones and working remotely blur the lines between work and personal time; making it more difficult to fully detach from work. 

Prioritising work and lacking time for your personal interests, hobbies or social events due to working late during the week and over the weekend can make you feel like you don’t have anything to look forward to aside from heading back to work on Monday.  No thanks! 

Not to mention if you are burning the candles at both ends, failing to take time to relax and recharge ahead of the upcoming week. It can make you feel unprepared for what may arise and cue the Sunday scaries. 

If this sounds like something you are dealing with or a friend has been dealing with recently try the following: 

👉 Take time to reflect on your current role and assess your level of job satisfaction.

👉 Establish clear boundaries between your work and personal life - step away from the “always on” mentality.

👉 Plan time on the weekend to dedicate to self care activities to relax and recharge - and actually do it! 

👉 Organise your work tasks for the upcoming week to reduce feelings of being overwhelmed. Ps DELEGATE! 

👉 Consider a digital detox on the weekends, turn off those work notifications - it can wait!

Start by asking yourself these questions:

❔Are you genuinely fulfilled by your work or do you find it draining and unfulfilling? Is it time for a change?

❔Are you allowing work to take over your personal time? Do you need to create more defined boundaries? 

❔Are you relaxing and recharging on the weekends? Are you practising self care?

❔How can you better prioritise your tasks and manage your workload? Can you delegate more? 

❔Do you feel like you always need to be connected and “on”?

If you are feeling this way, make sure you reach out for support - this can be a friend, your manager, HR or mentor to discuss how you could move through the challenges you are facing.

The decision will always lie with you - you can continue to spend your Sunday afternoon and/or evening dreading going into work the next day or make a change that will support your mental health, happiness and fulfilment.