How to Manage “Sunday Scaries”
When someone says they have “Sunday scaries” they are often talking about the anxiety they feel before work on Sunday, or they may also be referring to sadness over free time ending. Sunday scaries even made into Miriam Webster’s online dictionary and described as “a feeling of anxiety or sadness one may feel when the weekend is almost over, either because the work/school week is about to begin, there is no more time for fun or relaxing weekend activities, or both”. In this blog we will be discussing how to better manage Sunday scaries by offering some tips. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health challenge adults face; it is estimated that 19% of the US population has struggled with it in the last year (National Institute of Mental Health, 2025). Therefore, feeling anxiety is more common than we think. When you feel anxiety, you are not alone and talking about anxiety can be the first step in managing it.
Let’s start by talking about what anxiety may look like on Sunday. Anxiety can show up as excessive worry and this in turn can impact concentration or focus. It can also show up when you are unable to relax (no matter how much you try). You may also be experiencing over thinking or unhelpful thinking. At times you may feel like you want to avoid places, people or tasks that create more anxiety or stress. Anxiety can also show up as problems with over or under eating and/or sleeping. Any significant changes in your appetite or sleeping patterns can also be a red flag for an anxiety disorder that may be more serious that occasionally Sunday Scaries.
Here are four tips on how better manage Sunday Scaries.
1. Normalize all feelings including anxiety: Accepting uncomfortable feelings can be scary. But also, it can lead to better ways to mange them. Once we accept that we are experiencing an uncomfortable feeling we can move to taking a helpful action.
2. Take One Small Helpful Action: taking a small action such that can bring anxiety down. This can include a relaxing activity such as walking, listening to calm music, journaling to write about worries or any other activity that helps you. It doesn’t have to long even a 10-minute relaxing action can help.
3. Ongoing Commitment taking this small action. If this helpful action brought down your anxiety even if it was a small decrease; can you commit to doing it every Sunday to help with Sunday Scaries anxiety? Can you add another small helpful action? This can be the begging of a better you on Sundays if you are able to take these small steps to manage worry.
4. Asking the question What is this Anxiety trying to tell me? Do I need to make changes in my job /career? Do I need to add more enjoyable activities in my week? Answering these questions can get you started on a path of possible long-term solutions to the Sunday scaries. Specially if you notice that this anxiety happens every week. Making some time to reflect of work-life balance can be very helpful in managing Sunday scaries and possibly making changes that your body is telling you it needs.
If you are overwhelmed by Sundays sacries on regular basis you are not alone. Therapy can help you learn coping skills for anxiety and how to take small helpful actions. Therapy can support you with developing better self-care and making career changes if needed. Work -life balance can be attainable not matter who you are. If you need help managing Sunday scaries and anxiety, we are here to help. Contact us for your free 15-minute consultation (909) 206-4613 or at info@pattymunoztherapy.com We offer virtual therapy throughout CA and in person in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. We have over 15 years of experience and specialize in EMDR therapy for anxiety.
