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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThat familiar sense of anticipatory anxiety that often creeps in as the weekend draws to a close is a widely recognised phenomenon. <\/p>\n
The pervasive feeling of uneasiness is commonly known as the \u2018Sunday scaries\u2019.<\/p>\n
While they are a common experience, they are not a formal medical condition, Arden University senior lecturer in psychology Dr Ashleigh Johnstone says.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not something that a doctor would diagnose, however, it is a phenomenon that many people have experienced in some form,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
She describes it as \u201ca feeling of apprehension, or that nervous energy that many people experience at the weekend as they start looking ahead to Monday\u201d.<\/p>\n
This apprehension can trigger the body\u2019s natural fight-or-flight response as the amygdala starts treating the feelings as a potential threat.<\/p>\n
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The fight-or-flight response triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol (ARAMYAN – stock.adobe.com)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\u201cOur amygdala isn\u2019t always sure whether something is a \u2018real\u2019 threat and so it\u2019s safer for it to assume a threat and trigger the response, rather than assuming something isn\u2019t a threat when it is,\u201d Dr Johnstone says.<\/p>\n
\u201dThe fight-or-flight response can trigger releases of adrenaline and cortisol. The adrenaline is released pretty quickly which is why we can get that sudden on-edge, jittery feeling, whereas the cortisol comes a little bit later to keep us on high alert.\u201d <\/p>\n
This hormonal cascade explains the physical sensations associated with the end-of-weekend dread.<\/p>\n
Signs your \u2018Sunday scaries\u2019 might be out of control<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\nWhen the feeling of dread starts having a tangible impact on your life, that is a red flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s getting to the point where you\u2019re not sleeping properly, you\u2019re avoiding doing things at the weekend and are turning down opportunities because you\u2019re so worried about the upcoming week, you might want to reach out for support from your loved ones or speak to your GP to check there\u2019s not something more serious going on,\u201d says Dr Johnstone.<\/p>\n
If the Sunday scaries are having a significant impact on your social life, mental health and overall wellbeing, here are some ways to manage it.<\/p>\n
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(Getty\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Have a think about the cause<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cThe first step is to figure out what the cause of it is, because if you are aware of what is causing the overwhelm, then you can start thinking of ways to tackle it yourself or with the help and support of others,\u201d says Dr Johnstone.<\/p>\n
The psychology lecturer outlines three potential causes.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirstly, when you\u2019ve got a busy, intense week coming up, you often start to focus on it so much that you don\u2019t get enough rest at the weekend, which means things like tiredness and stress will impact you more,\u201d explains Dr Johnstone.<\/p>\n
\u201cSecondly, if you feel a lack of control about your job\/life, that can lead to a sense of apprehension because you don\u2019t necessarily know what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen thirdly, sometimes the Sunday scaries are a result of a specific thing that is coming up that you feel anxious about. For example, there might be a big presentation coming up and you might not feel confident about your presentation skills, and are letting that inner critic take over, which builds that apprehension further.\u201d<\/p>\n
Question the thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cAlthough our brains are fascinating … they\u2019re not infallible,\u201d says Dr Johnstone. <\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes our brain tells us things that are just mean or aren\u2019t correct.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to be aware of that so that you\u2019re able to start questioning these negative thoughts and ask yourself, is this actually true? Sometimes when you say these thoughts out loud, you realise how ridiculous they sound.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Writing about the stressful feelings can help (Getty\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Write the thoughts down<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cSometimes writing things down can help get it out of our brains into something tangible which can help us process it better,\u201d says Dr Johnstone.<\/p>\n
Ease yourself into Monday<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cPersonally, on a Monday morning I block out my calendar between 9am and 10am which means no one can surprise me on a Monday morning with any tasks, and it also means that I know that I will always have a gentle start to a Monday,\u201d shares Johnstone. \u201cSimilarly, on a Friday I think about how can I either end a task or leave it in a state where there\u2019s really clear instructions for me to pick up again on Monday so that it doesn\u2019t creep into my weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
Look for opportunities to upskill<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cIf you feel nervous about something, like a presentation, look at it as an opportunity to upskill,\u201d says Dr Johnstone. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you work on that skill by going to classes or by practising with friends, your confidence in that skill will start to increase, which will reduce any self-doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Do some meal prep<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cYou might want to spend some time at the weekend batch cooking, so that you know that you\u2019ve got nice, healthy meals for the upcoming week,\u201d says Dr Johnstone.<\/p>\n
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(Getty\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Practise mindfulness<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cFor some people, mindfulness is sitting down quietly in a room and focusing on their breathing, but for someone else it might be colouring or baking,\u201d says Dr Johnstone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are lots of different ways to practice mindfulness, but the most important thing is to do something that brings you to the present moment, where you can focus solely on what you\u2019re doing, rather than trying to juggle everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Create positive associations with Mondays<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cThink about what brings you joy and find a way to bring that into your Monday,\u201d recommends Dr Johnstone. \u201cFor example, you could stop off at your favourite coffee shop and grab your favourite drink every Monday morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carve out time to unwind<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cAnything that brings you a sense of peace or helps you say goodbye to the previous week is really beneficial,\u201d says Dr Johnstone. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, you could have a bubbly bath every Sunday evening or have Sunday lunch with your family.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more That familiar sense of anticipatory anxiety that often creeps in as the weekend draws to a close is a widely recognised phenomenon. The pervasive feeling of uneasiness is commonly known as the \u2018Sunday scaries\u2019. While they are a common experience, they are not a formal medical condition, Arden University senior lecturer in psychology Dr Ashleigh Johnstone says. \u201cIt\u2019s not something that a doctor would diagnose, however, it is a phenomenon that many people have experienced in some form,\u201d she says. She describes it as \u201ca feeling of apprehension, or that nervous energy that many people experience at the weekend as they start looking ahead to Monday\u201d. This apprehension can trigger the body\u2019s natural fight-or-flight response as the amygdala starts treating the feelings as a potential threat. The fight-or-flight response triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol (ARAMYAN – stock.adobe.com) \u201cOur amygdala isn\u2019t always sure whether something is a \u2018real\u2019 threat and so it\u2019s safer for it to assume a threat and trigger …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13590,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13589"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13589\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}