It’s 6pm on Sunday. Your assignments are half finished, your room is lowkey a mess, you are stressed about that one test you have on Thursday, and your group chat has been silent all day. Your stomach feels weird for no reason, and you are freaking out that you have personally offended every person you have ever come in contact with. I think every college girl knows the impending doom feeling you get on Sunday, otherwise known as the “Sunday Scaries”. It is not that anything bad is actually happening, no one is actively planning your demise, but suddenly everything seems awful. I am probably the biggest victim of the Sunday Scaries and after years of freaking out this is my guide to beating them.
Do a Soft Reset
The best way to feel productive and get out of your head is to do a soft reset. Make your bed, do your laundry, clean your room. I personally like to do a 30-45 min workout or some yoga to reset my body and release some endorphins. Simple things that will organize your life and hopefully your thoughts. I also like to do a “future plan” where I plan my outfit for Monday, pack my bags, and maybe meal prep.
1-2 Hour Study Sprint
As someone who is constantly studying, being anxious doesn’t help. I try to study for 1-2 hours straight with no distractions on Sunday. It is always good to get ahead of assignments due Monday or Tuesday, and it makes me feel more productive and less overwhelmed. Even with the Sunday scaries we can still try to get things done.
Take an Everything Shower
This is the best way to start the week and end the night. Take a nice long “everything” shower, do your skin care, oil your hair. Do anything that will make you look and feel good. It is my favorite way to reset and calm my nerves. Bed rotting always makes my scaries even worse.
Romanticize Your Night
Lastly, romanticize your night. Cuddle up in a warm blanket, make some tea, put on a good movie or your favorite show, maybe you can journal or read a book. I always like to do something that makes me feel peaceful. Unplugging from your phone and just having a calm night can help calm your nerves and make it feel a lot less like the world is ending.
It is important to remember that the Sunday scaries are just you decompressing from the week you had and feeling overwhelmed by the week you are beginning. They do not mean you are doing something wrong, you are falling behind, or that everyone secretly hates you. They are just a sign that you care about your life, and as college girls we have so much to care about: our friends, our families, our significant others, school, our future etc. So when it’s 6pm and you are freaking out and feeling all the scary impending doom feelings, just take a minute and decompress. Take a deep breath and take time for yourself and calm your mind. Just remember the world isn’t against you. It is just a case of the Sunday scaries.