Everyone gets excited when the weekend rolls around; we trade in papers for parties and responsibilities for relaxation. But then it’s Sunday and the terrible realization that starting tomorrow there is a full week of work to deal with finally hits you. The anxiety and the stress of the “Sunday Scaries” can be very damaging to your self-esteem and happiness, but no one should have to deal with that at the end of a good weekend. No matter if it is piled up work or just the anxious anticipation of the week ahead that is eating away at you, try these five tips to get you through those dreaded Sunday Scaries.
Employ help from friends
It’s always better to surround yourself with people whose company you enjoy because they often know what is best for you and they can help you handle things that you think are out of your control. If there are classmates that you have grown close to, getting together and working on assignments can put things into perspective; if they are just as behind as you or if they have the same questions that you do about the assignment, then you know that you are not the only one struggling. Having friends and people you trust with you as you try to tackle Sundays makes it all the more easier and even fun.
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Take some “me” time
It might seem like you have too much to do after a weekend of avoiding your responsibilities, but there is always a little time to engage in the simple pleasures of life. If you are in the midst of working or if you are feeling overwhelmed, try taking a small break and focusing on taking care of yourself. Bubble baths, going to the gym, taking a nap, or whatever it is that makes you happy for a short while can make it easier to get through the long day you have ahead of you. Taking breaks may even help you feel more productive because it helps you align what is truly important and what is not. You should never just work nonstop or worry about your work the entire day through because your health and well-being should always come first.
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Change your environment
If you normally wake up Sunday morning and you lay in bed for three to four hours, as I sometimes shamefully do, maybe it’s time for a change of scenery. Being in a different place when you are working or when you are stressing about work can help you focus as you are not distracted by the many things that you would rather be doing if you were still in bed. Whether it’s inside a library, or outside at a local park, having a new work environment always helps to clear my head and to see the task at hand from a different point of view.
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Spread out your work
It may sound like a crazy and ridiculous thing, but getting ahead on your work on Friday or Saturday, and even during the week, can really help to ease your stress. I’m not saying you have to write a paper instead of partying or staying up late at work on a Friday instead of meeting up with friends, but doing little things here and there to lessen your workload can really pay off. So, when Sunday sneaks up on you not as much will be on your plate to deal with that night because you thought ahead.
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Prioritize
Above all else, it is most important to prioritize. Determining what is most important and what has to be done before anything else is key in making sure your Sunday isn’t quite as scary. It can often be impossible to get all of your work done in one day, so spreading it out over multiple days and tackling the things that you know you can’t put off is a way of preventing a buildup from happening. You will still probably have to some work on Sunday, especially if you are a procrastinator like me, but if you wake up and tell yourself that you have to at least get a specific portion of your work done, then you will survive.
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The Sunday Scaries are a hard thing to escape. There is a Sunday in every week of your life, so if you plan ahead and learn how to handle the seemingly awful day, nothing can stand in your way. Just take a breath, read these tips, and be as successful as you possibly can.