Have you ever been feeling anxious on a Sunday afternoon, dreading the next week that is just around the corner? Then you are not alone. Actually, in a UK study, two thirds reported to have Sunday Scaries or Sunday Blues. Three quarters of employees between 25 and 34 reported struggling with the dread of Monday, reporting that most people struggling tend to lean towards eating comfort food or drinking alcohol.
On the other hand, Scandinavia is reported to be one of the happiest places in the world. They might have the winter blues, due to the long and dark winters. But Sunday scaries and Sunday blues are definitely more unusual.
Scandinavians has habits that might lead to a reduction or avoidance of Sunday Scaries and I have learned to leverage these over the years as a Norwegian working abroad under high pressure and with great responsibilities. With this, I have built 8 easy steps to reduce the probability of Sunday Scaries or Sunday Blues.
Here follows my 8 easy steps to remove Sunday Scaries and Sunday Blues:
1. Start to prepare on a Friday
The first step to reduce the Sunday Scaries, is to start preparing for it on a Friday. Before you leave your workplace or desk, make sure that you have looked over the calendar for next week. Make sure that you are aware of all appointments and meetings planned and try to dot down some bullet points for what is the minimum required to do before the meeting.
Don’t focus on having it all perfect, focus just on having control. Write a to-do list of what is needed to be done on Monday and block some time in your calendar to get it under control. Log off your computer if you have one, do not leave it with a ton of tabs open.
2. Eat a long breakfast and connect with family
Start Sunday right with a long, heathy and delicious meal. Focus on healthy options like oat porridge with berries or avocado on sourdough toast with lemon juice and chili flakes. Use your nicest plate and set the table. If it is warm outside, why not bring the breakfast outdoors? Having a long and healthy breakfast with family or alone with a notebook, a newspaper or a book is the perfect way to start the Sunday right.
3. If feeling overwhelmed, put an hour in for emptying your head
If you feel completely overwhelmed about the situation, sit down and put on a timer on for 1h to tackle some of the thoughts you having or issues you are feeling. Checking your inbox on a Sunday morning tends to be less scary than a Monday morning, since (hopefully) no-one is working. Get the stuff done on what’s worrying you the most. Or apply for new jobs or work on a side project if you want to leave your job. An hour on a Sunday morning can be enough for you to take back some of the power you feel like you don’t have.
4. Plan something fun for Monday
If you are dreading Monday, then try to plan something outside of work that makes you excited for the day to come. It can be as little as a good morning coffee or as much as meeting up with a friend after work and going to the cinema. The key is to not let your work control the entire mood of your Monday.
5. Get up and get out in nature
Another habit Scandinavians do (especially Norwegians), is to go out for a walk in nature on Sundays (or cross country skis if its snowy). Nature has a great way to balance the mind and make you remember what’s important in life. It removes the big worries and enable you to think beyond Monday. It does not need to be a long walk, as long as you let your mind wonder.
6. Sunday dinner with friends or family
After spending time in nature, try to plan for spending time with people that matters to you. Scandinavians has a tradition for doing formal dinners around a dining table on a Sunday with no phones included. Spending time with family or friends over good food enables you to feel supported and put your work in perspective. There is a life outside of work, believe it or not.
7. Get everything ready for Monday
Plan your outfit, pack your bag, prepare a healthy lunch, tidy up the tables and check travel route. Get everything ready for Monday so you don’t have to think when you get up. This will reduce thoughts spinning in your head when you go to bed.
8. Calm down mind and body
Try at the end of the day to calm down your mind with a good novel or a bath (or both!). Try to avoid looking at social media 1 hour before bedtime to avoid your head to spin with believing everyone has it together, except for you (which is of course not true). Put on some calm music on or a calm movie or series (like Gilmore Girls) and light some candles. Next stop: bed. And be sure to plan to get 8h sleep.
These are my habits that I have developed over the years while working in international corporate jobs that makes my head spin. Having good habits are so key to be able to cope or get through everyday when life is hard. Getting through can sometime be what’s needed. Hang in there, one day it will change if you want it to change and are willing do the work required.
Here are other posts that you should check out:
How to enjoy staying at home through a dark winter
How to have a productive start to the week
Why you should walk before work
