Sunday Scaries: Why the Weekend Ends in Dread

Sunday afternoon. The week stretches before you like an endless desert. Your chest tightens. A sense of dread settles in. You can't enjoy what's left of the weekend because you're already dreading Monday.

Welcome to the Sunday Scaries. You're not alone.

What Are the Sunday Scaries?

The Sunday Scaries (or Sunday Syndrome) is that anticipatory anxiety that hits as the weekend winds down. It's a creeping sense of dread about the week ahead, mixed with grief that the weekend is ending.

Studies on anticipatory anxiety suggest over 75% of people experience some form of Sunday anxiety. It's so common it's practically universal.

Why It Happens

Several factors feed the Sunday Scaries:

• Anticipatory anxiety: Your brain is already running Monday's problems on Sunday
• The contrast effect: The shift from weekend freedom to weekday structure feels jarring
• Unfinished business: Things you meant to do but didn't get done
• Sleep disruption: Different weekend sleep patterns throw off your rhythm
• Work dissatisfaction: If you genuinely don't enjoy your job, Sunday is a weekly reminder

If this resonates, you might also recognise general anxiety patterns in your life.

Quick Fixes

For immediate relief:

• Prepare on Friday: Set up Monday so it's less overwhelming
• Create Sunday rituals: Something to look forward to, not just waiting for Monday
• Limit Sunday evening work: Don't let the weekend bleed into work early
• Move your body: Physical activity helps process anticipatory anxiety
• Set boundaries with your thoughts: Notice when you're rehearsing Monday's problems and redirect

Mindfulness research shows that staying present — rather than time-travelling to Monday — significantly reduces anticipatory distress.

The Deeper Question

Occasional Sunday anxiety is normal. But if every Sunday feels like impending doom, it might be worth asking bigger questions:

• Is your job sustainable?
• Are you chronically overworked?
• What would need to change for Monday to feel manageable?

Sometimes the Sunday Scaries aren't a personal problem to fix — they're a signal that something about your life needs to change. If you're running on empty every week, see our guide on recognising burnout.

Reframing Sunday

What if Sunday evening wasn't about loss but about transition? Not mourning the weekend but preparing for the week ahead with intention?

Sunday can be:

• A time to set intentions rather than dwell on dread
• An opportunity to practice being present rather than future-focused
• A reminder that weekdays can be meaningful too, not just survived

The Sunday Scaries are real. But they don't have to define your entire evening. You can feel the dread AND enjoy the remaining hours. Both can be true.