It’s a fairly common phenomenon: somewhere around mid-day Sunday, people who aren’t blissfully happy with their Monday routines start to feel a twinge of anxiety. The brain is a tricky creature. The anxiety takes over and makes you feel like you’re getting into work mode, even though it’s still the weekend. This happens to students and people with 9-5 type jobs, and is often characterized by insomnia and agitation.
What to do about the Sunday night blues? The best cure, of course, is to do something you love Monday to Friday. When the conditions of your job are right, you can start the week excited about it. You like the work for its own sake and hence, it isn’t a cause of anxiety.
But another, perhaps more practical, idea is to schedule something fun for Sunday nights. Get together for a game night with friends. Have people over for dinner. Find an adult soccer league that plays on Sunday nights. Go to religious services. Volunteer with your family somewhere. In nice weather when it stays light late, go for a long bike ride or walk. The key is to figure out something you’d really enjoy doing, then plan it ahead of time.
Why is that important? Thinking about something and anticipating it is half the experience — that’s why the thought of Monday can take over Sunday night and ruin it. But if you plan something enjoyable for Sunday night, you’ll spend most of Sunday thinking about that, and cram any Monday anxiety into the small time afterwards.
What do you do on Sunday nights?
My husband and I try to have a nice meal on Sunday – something to look forward to, something new and different and super yummy. We also try to take time to play a game together after our baby goes to bed, or just sit and talk and unwind together over a bowl of ice cream. Definitely helps ease into Monday.
@Sarah – that sounds nice. My temptation is to do work to get ahead of the week. Probably a place for all of this, in moderation…
Ay yi yi…my husband and I both suffered from this terribly when we were both teachers. That’s when we figured out that maybe teaching wasn’t for us. 😉
For the last three years or so we’ve done Dinner Date Night. We throw the boys into their rooms around 6:30 or so, with instructions to turn off the lights and go to bed at 8:00. We make a nice dinner (made sushi last night), drink wine, watch satirical cartoons. It’s a great way to ease into the week and ease out of the weekend. Best part is we don’t have to hire a sitter!
@Jen – and no one’s killed each other while you have a nice dinner? That’s excellent! There are definitely things I’m looking forward to about having older kids…
During football season, I would watch the games on Sunday (if your team wins that brightens your Mondays). I also cook, which is fun for me, plus we get a couple of more meals out of that (saves time during the week when I’m exhausted). Now that football isn’t on, I like to watch the shows on the DVR I missed during the week. I also read a lot and work on various art projects.
Right now, I enjoy my job and Mondays are not as painful as they were a year ago. We had some major changes for the better at my job, so it is easier to go back. I think now the reason I dread Mondays is getting up at 6 AM. During the weekends, I sleep in a couple of hours past that 🙁
I signed up for a pilates class Sunday nights. I never feel like going because I’m tired, but once I’m there it is so fun. All the women joke about the silly things their husbands did over the weekend (lucky for me my husband always provides great material). When I get home I feel energized – it makes me forget the stress of Monday morning 🙂