The Sunday Scaries: Why We Feel Them and How Therapy Can Help
Most of us know the feeling: it’s Sunday evening, and instead of enjoying the final hours of the weekend, a creeping sense of dread starts to rise. Thoughts of work emails, deadlines, responsibilities, or even just the abrupt return to structure can make it hard to relax. This phenomenon has been dubbed the “Sunday scaries,” and it’s more common than you might think.
While some mild anticipatory anxiety about the week ahead is normal, for many people these feelings can become overwhelming, habitual, or even symptomatic of deeper struggles with stress, burnout, or mental health. In this article, we’ll look at what causes the Sunday scaries, practical strategies to manage them, and how therapy can help if they’re becoming a recurring issue.
What Are the Sunday Scaries?
The term “Sunday scaries” describes the anxiety, unease, or tension that emerges on Sunday evenings before the new week begins. It often feels like:
Restlessness or irritability
A sense of dread or anticipatory stress
Difficulty falling asleep
Rumination on unfinished tasks or the upcoming workload
Physical tension such as tight shoulders or headaches
Research shows that nearly 80% of professionals experience heightened anxiety on Sunday evenings, with younger workers and those in high-pressure roles reporting the most intense symptoms (LinkedIn, 2018). This suggests it’s not just a cultural quirk—it’s a widespread psychological experience tied to how we balance work, rest, and identity.
Why Do We Get the Sunday Scaries?
Several overlapping factors contribute:
1. Anticipatory Anxiety
At its core, the Sunday scaries are a form of anticipatory anxiety—the brain’s way of rehearsing potential stressors before they happen (Grupe & Nitschke, 2013). While a little planning is useful, when the mind loops through “what ifs,” it can feel overwhelming.
2. Transition From Freedom to Structure
Weekends often symbolise autonomy, rest, and self-chosen activities. Shifting back into a structured environment where expectations are external—whether work, study, or family commitments—can trigger resistance and dread (Newman et al., 2014).
3. Workload and Burnout
If someone’s workload is unmanageable or if their job feels unfulfilling, Sunday evening can become a reminder of looming stress. Chronic Sunday scaries may signal burnout, which is defined by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy (Maslach & Leiter, 2016).
4. Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Disruption
Many people stay up later or sleep differently on weekends, creating “social jetlag.” This mismatch between the body’s clock and the workweek routine can heighten anxiety and disrupt sleep on Sunday nights (Wittmann et al., 2006).
5. Broader Mental Health Concerns
For some, Sunday scaries are not just about the week ahead—they can amplify symptoms of anxiety disorders, depression, or perfectionism. When this cycle repeats weekly, it can reinforce a persistent sense of being trapped or powerless.
Practical Ways to Ease the Sunday Scaries
While the Sunday scaries can feel inevitable, there are strategies that can soften their impact and make Sundays a time of calm rather than dread.
1. Reframe Sunday Evenings as a Transition Ritual
Instead of cramming chores or emails into late Sunday, treat the evening as a time to transition intentionally. This could involve cooking a comforting meal, preparing clothes for the week, or winding down with a bath. The act of ritualising the evening can shift it from a time of stress to one of self-care.
2. Limit Overload on Sundays
Cramming an endless to-do list into Sunday often backfires. If possible, spread tasks across Friday or Saturday, leaving Sunday lighter and more restorative. Research into stress management shows that downtime and recovery are essential for long-term wellbeing (Sonnentag & Fritz, 2015).
3. Set Gentle Boundaries With Work
Checking emails or starting projects on Sunday may seem like a head start, but it often increases anxiety. Setting digital boundaries—such as disabling work notifications after Friday evening—can help protect the weekend.
4. Plan Something Positive for Mondays
If Mondays are always loaded with pressure, adding a small ritual—meeting a friend for coffee, listening to a favourite podcast on the commute, or doing a morning workout—can change the association. This reframing shifts the start of the week from dread to opportunity.
5. Focus on Sleep Hygiene
Anxiety is worse when sleep is poor, and poor sleep is often worse when anxiety is present. To break the cycle:
Stick to a consistent bedtime, even on weekends.
Avoid heavy meals and alcohol late at night.
Try relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation or guided meditation.
6. Use Grounding Techniques
Simple mindfulness practices—like focusing on breath, journaling, or a short walk—can stop spirals of worry. Studies show that mindfulness can reduce anticipatory anxiety and improve overall resilience (Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
Research shows that nearly 80% of professionals experience heightened anxiety on Sunday evenings, with younger workers and those in high-pressure roles reporting the most intense symptoms (LinkedIn, 2018).
When the Sunday Scaries Are More Serious
For many, Sunday evening stress is an occasional annoyance. But when it becomes a weekly cycle that interferes with wellbeing, it may point to deeper issues.
Signs That Sunday Scaries Might Signal Something More:
Persistent dread that begins earlier in the weekend
Trouble sleeping every Sunday night despite good sleep habits
A sense of hopelessness or despair about work or life
Physical symptoms of anxiety such as racing heart, sweating, or panic attacks
Spillover effects into relationships, productivity, or overall mood
In these cases, the Sunday scaries may be less about Sunday and more about ongoing burnout, workplace stress, or mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression.
How Therapy Can Help
Therapy offers a safe and structured way to explore the Sunday scaries beyond surface-level fixes. It can help in several ways:
1. Identifying the Root Cause
Are the Sunday scaries a response to an unsustainable workload? Unresolved perfectionism? A broader sense of misalignment between personal values and professional life? Therapy helps distinguish between situational stress and deeper psychological patterns (Beck, 2011).
2. Building Coping Strategies
Therapists often introduce tools from approaches like CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) to challenge unhelpful thoughts, or mindfulness-based strategies to calm physiological responses (Hofmann et al., 2012).
3. Supporting Career and Life Decisions
Sometimes, recurring dread reflects a bigger issue: being in the wrong role, industry, or life stage. Therapy provides space to clarify values, explore change, and consider new directions without judgment.
4. Addressing Underlying Mental Health Conditions
If the Sunday scaries are connected to anxiety disorders, depression, or trauma, therapy provides evidence-based treatment. Approaches like IFS, psychodynamic therapy, or integrative counselling can work at the root rather than just managing symptoms.
5. Preventing Burnout
Therapy can help build long-term resilience by encouraging balance, boundaries, and self-awareness—tools that prevent burnout from recurring in cycles.
Final Thoughts
The Sunday scaries are a reminder of how closely our emotional wellbeing is tied to how we work, rest, and live. While almost everyone feels some anticipation before the week ahead, persistent dread can be a sign that something deeper needs attention. Practical strategies can ease the tension, but when Sunday scaries feel chronic or overwhelming, therapy can help unravel the roots, build healthier coping strategies, and support longer-term wellbeing.
Instead of dreading Sundays, it is possible to reclaim them as a time of rest, reflection, and gentle preparation for the week—so that Mondays become a beginning, not a burden.
Author Bio
Mark Ryan is an integrative psychotherapist and founder of Rise and Grow Therapy in London. He works with individuals and couples on issues including anxiety, stress, and relationship challenges, drawing on approaches such as person-centred therapy, CBT, and relational models. His practice supports clients in navigating life’s challenges with clarity and resilience.
It is possible to reclaim them as a time of rest, reflection, and gentle preparation for the week
References
Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond. Guilford Press.
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Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156.
LinkedIn (2018). Report: 80% of professionals experience the Sunday night anxiety. Retrieved from: [LinkedIn Newsroom].
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111.
Newman, D. B., Tay, L., & Diener, E. (2014). Leisure and subjective well-being: A model of psychological mechanisms as mediating factors. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15(3), 555–578.
Sonnentag, S., & Fritz, C. (2015). Recovery from job stress: The stressor–detachment model as an integrative framework. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36(S1), S72–S103.
Wittmann, M., Dinich, J., Merrow, M., & Roenneberg, T. (2006). Social jetlag: Misalignment of biological and social time. Chronobiology International, 23(1-2), 497–509.
