Sunday scaries

{{Short description|Anxiety about the start of the working week}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}{{tone|date=June 2024}}

Sunday scaries, also known as the Sunday syndrome, Sunday blues, or Sunday evening feeling, refer to the anticipatory anxiety and dread that commonly occur on Sundays for employees as the weekend ends, and the workweek resumes on Monday.{{cite news |last1=Hess |first1=AJ |date=February 22, 2024 |title=It's not just you. Sunday scaries are common—but beatable |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90856298/its-not-just-you-sunday-scaries-getting-worse |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529142329/https://www.fastcompany.com/90856298/its-not-just-you-sunday-scaries-getting-worse |archive-date=May 29, 2024 |access-date=13 June 2024 |work=Fast Company}}{{cite news |last1=Degges-White |first1=Suzanne |title=Sunday Syndrome: Mourning the Weekend That Got Away |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifetime-connections/201510/sunday-syndrome-mourning-the-weekend-got-away |access-date=13 June 2024 |work=Psychology Today |date=October 26, 2015}} The sinking feeling of malaise may begin Sunday morning before peaking in the evening.{{cite web |date=December 7, 2021 |title=What Are the 'Sunday Scaries'? |url=https://health.clevelandclinic.org/sunday-scaries |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613164308/https://health.clevelandclinic.org/sunday-scaries |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |access-date=13 June 2024 |publisher=Cleveland Clinic}}{{cite news |last1=Pinsker |first1=Joe |date=9 February 2020 |title=Why People Get the 'Sunday Scaries' |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/02/sunday-scaries-anxiety-workweek/606289/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822192503/https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/02/sunday-scaries-anxiety-workweek/606289/ |archive-date=August 22, 2023 |access-date=13 June 2024 |work=The Atlantic |language=en}}

The disquiet may arise from avoidance motivation stress of mental preparation for the upcoming week's workload, processing the prior week's workload, and the challenge of maintaining work–life balance.{{cite news |last1=Heubeck |first1=Elizabeth |date=18 April 2024 |title=Teachers, Tame the 'Sunday Scaries' |url=https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teachers-tame-the-sunday-scaries/2024/04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613164308/https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teachers-tame-the-sunday-scaries/2024/04 |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |access-date=13 June 2024 |work=Education Week |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Hylton-Jean |first1=Emily |title=5 Ways to Overcome the Sunday Scaries |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mapping-your-mental-health-journey/202405/5-ways-to-overcome-the-sunday-scaries |access-date=13 June 2024 |work=Psychology Today |date=June 1, 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Stone |first1=Lillian |date=December 26, 2023 |title=Ten work buzzwords that took over in 2023 |url=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20231219-ten-work-buzzwords-that-took-over-in-2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120164257/https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20231219-ten-work-buzzwords-that-took-over-in-2023 |archive-date=January 20, 2024 |access-date=13 June 2024 |publisher=BBC}} Younger workers are more likely to be afflicted as they acclimate to the workforce.{{cite news |last1=Mejia |first1=Zameena |date=28 January 2019 |title=5 ways to get over the 'Sunday Scaries' according to psychologists and mindfulness experts |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/28/how-to-get-over-sunday-scaries-according-to-psychologists-stanford-experts.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613164309/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/28/how-to-get-over-sunday-scaries-according-to-psychologists-stanford-experts.html |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |access-date=13 June 2024 |publisher=CNBC |language=en |quote="[Younger workers] haven’t had years to get past the mental rebellion that often accompanies return to work.These younger workers, many who spend hours more on tasks like email, are often still developing strateges{{sic}} to balance their work and personal lives. Weekends are a time of rejuvenation and rest, something most people look forward to throughout the week. Sunday is typically perceived as an end of this free time, provoking feelings of anxiety about the week ahead."}}

The feeling contributes to the blue Mondays and that Mondays have the highest suicide rates.{{Cite news |last=Spicer |first=André |date=2023-03-19 |title=The 'Sunday scaries' are all too real for many workers – but there are simple ways to help |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/19/sunday-scaries-workers-end-of-the-weekend |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613164310/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/19/sunday-scaries-workers-end-of-the-weekend |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |access-date=2024-06-17 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} People suffering from acute Sunday scaries may benefit from a change in employment.{{cite news |last1=Lastoe |first1=Stacey |date=30 October 2016 |title=When Your Sunday Scaries Aren't a Joke |url=https://www.themuse.com/advice/when-your-sunday-scaries-are-the-sign-of-a-much-bigger-problem |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217184135/https://www.themuse.com/advice/when-your-sunday-scaries-are-the-sign-of-a-much-bigger-problem |archive-date=December 17, 2023 |access-date=13 June 2024 |work=The Muse |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Madell |first1=Robin |last2=Ortiz |first2=Jennifer |title=Why You Feel the Sunday Scaries and How to Beat Them |url=https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/articles/what-are-the-sunday-scaries |access-date=18 June 2024 |work=U.S. News & World Report |date=June 26, 2023|department=On Careers}} Some people engage in bare minimum Monday to address the Sunday scaries.{{cite news |last1=Tong |first1=Goh Chiew |date=18 April 2023 |title=You've probably had the Sunday scaries. To beat them, consider 'bare minimum Mondays' |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/18/bare-minimum-monday-how-it-works-and-what-experts-think-.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423075830/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/18/bare-minimum-monday-how-it-works-and-what-experts-think-.html |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |access-date=14 June 2024 |publisher=CNBC |language=en}}