We give our all for 5 days a week (if it’s 6 days, then respectfully, that’s criminal), get burned out, and then the weekend arrives. Finally, the pressure to meet the deadlines is temporarily gone, and no more surviving corporate politics. But then, in the blink of an eye, Sunday rolls in.

A knot tightens in the stomach, everything feels annoying, and a weird hollow feeling creeps in. The type of feeling that feels like time is running out, and the rest never really arrived.

The not-exactly-clinical diagnosis for this late-weekend malaise is the Sunday Scaries, a term that has risen to prominence in the past decade or so. Why? Because we are running a 21st-century workforce in a 20th-century-based system that is made to increase Monday dread.

Sunday Scaries and the Anticipation of Stress

From a psychological standpoint, Sunday Sadness is a cocktail of anticipatory anxiety, emotional fatigue, and unprocessed stress. The term is more than a cute alliteration; it can be a type of anticipatory anxiety, which is defined by the American Psychological Association as apprehension about an upcoming event or situation because of the possibility of a negative outcome, such as danger, misfortune, or adverse judgment by others.

This is much more everyday in Urban cities that never sleep, and people are always ahead, chasing money and perfection.

Yes, urban living feeds our adrenaline. There’s always something to do, somewhere to be, someone to become. Monday through Friday, we’re machines. And then Saturday hits, and suddenly we’re supposed to switch it all off? Not so easy.

The pressure to rest becomes another item on our mental to-do list.

Studies reveal that more than one in three professionals experience the “Sunday Scaries” each week. In other words, over 60% of working professionals feel this creeping anxiety, and about 40% say it has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Therapists note that high-functioning individuals often feel a sense of dread as they look toward the week ahead, especially when their work-life balance is out of sync.

A LinkedIn survey of 3,000 American workers found that 80% experience the Sunday Scaries. For 60% of them, worrying about workload was the main trigger. Another 44% cited the struggle to balance professional and personal responsibilities. Millennials and Gen Z made up the majority of those affected.

• A racing heartbeat
• Difficulty breathing
• Headaches
• Stomach aches
• Trouble sleeping

Can We Ease the Sunday Load?

Absolutely. While the Sunday Scaries may be common, they’re not inevitable. Here are a few things that can genuinely help:

• Just like bedtime routines help kids sleep, Sunday rituals can ease your mind.
• Plan your Monday (lightly) and jot down your top 3 tasks. Knowing what to expect can help reduce that sense of looming chaos.
• Stop scrolling or doom-scrolling through work emails late Sunday. Don’t let Monday invade your weekend.
• Schedule something you enjoy in the evening, like a show or a call with a friend, so Sunday isn’t all anxiety.

After all, Monday will come regardless. But how do you end your Sunday? That’s still in your hands.