Sunday Scaries: Awkward Name, Real Syndrome
It’s 11:30 am on a Sunday. You and some friends are having brunch…maybe even mimosas. Ok, definitely mimosas. Or, maybe Bloody Marys? Really not important to the story! You’re catching up, laughing, and genuinely having a good time. All of a sudden, you start to tense up. While you’re unaware that you’re now holding your breath, a sinking feeling in your stomach starts. “Is everything ok?” asks one of your friends. You reply “Yeah, just thinking about the week ahead.” By the time you leave the restaurant you are depressed and stressed. What you are experiencing is an episode of the Sunday Scaries. Simply put, it’s anxiety over the workweeks ahead. And while its name indicates a reservation for Sunday only — usually in the late afternoon or early evening, it can show up early — sometimes on Saturdays.
Though experienced by 80 percent of working Americans, according to a LinkedIn survey of 3,000 workers, Generations Y (Millennials) and Z seem to be most affected. That makes sense. The younger generational cohorts deal with much more than their predecessors and at earlier stages in their careers. The Sunday scaries also show up as other symptoms than the ones discussed above including:
- Intense Headaches
- Stomach Aches
- Shorter Temper
- Sleep Loss
The job you do could also heighten some of these symptoms. For example, if you dislike your job or if the company culture makes your workplace tough to tolerate, the Sunday scaries become even more dreadful. In addition to experiencing the Sunday scaries, you start to anticipate and think about how you’re going to feel on Sunday earlier in the week.
Social Clubs & Combating Sunday Scaries
Lessening the impact of Sunday scaries may be as simple as a routine change or as complex as a job change. Usually, somewhere in the middle often helps quell the symptoms. The scaries hijack our minds and cause us to focus on the wrong thing: Mondays and the workweek ahead. What if, instead, we could focus on something more exciting? Joining a social sports club, like CLUBWAKA, may be just what the doctor ordered. Wedging a wiffleball game, kickball game, volleyball match, cornhole game, flag football game, etc. into the middle of the week may have you smiling on a Sunday knowing that social interaction is ahead. Many CLUBWAKA players say the games and afterward hanging out at the sponsor bar is the highlight of their week.
Social sports also provide another benefit – new faces. Whereas you see the same faces at work every week, you meet new players constantly at CLUBWAKA keeping the overall experience fresh and stimulating. In addition to social sports, Very Well Mind has its own list of tips and tactics for combating Sunday anxiety including:
- Prioritizing Sleep
- Do a “Brain Dump”
- Separate Home and Work.
- Address Workplace Bullying.
- Turn Off Work Notifications.
- Practice Relaxation Strategies.
- Stay Active on Sundays.
- Create a Weekly Plan.
Are you feeling better? As with anything, practice and patience will be your best friends when trying to suppress and gain control over anxiety. That means religiously practicing techniques to build a winning mental wellness routine. Experts say one strategy alone may not cut it. You may have to use two or three to find a workable combination. If you don’t find that your anxiety diminishes, one of two things may be necessary. You may need to find a new job that connects better with your core values or seek out a therapist who can help you at a deeper level.
Want to join our social sports club? Take a look at our current league and team openings in the city you live.
Written By: Michael Doria