When Monday’s work and responsibilities peek around the corner on Sunday night – many people feel anxious and unable to relax.
Friday night - perfection.
Saturday - just as fun, but Sunday?
Sunday comes with a ticking clock.
With each passing hour, it brings you closer to what you dread. Your body responds as though you are being stalked by Jaws – the music growing louder in your head as you hit the pillow. It’s coming - you cannot avoid it any longer. Monday. And with it, an entire week to do it all again.
This is what so many of us know as the Sunday Scaries (or Sunday night anxiety). It feels hard, overwhelming, and sometimes impossible - but it doesn’t have to be.
Here are 4 quick and easy tips to help manage your Sunday Scaries and soften the transition into a calmer, more grounded Monday.
- Make a Monday Kit
One of the best ways to ease Sunday night anxiety is to create a Monday Kit. Ideally do this on Friday, or if not, on Saturday - so that by Sunday, you already feel organized for the week ahead.
A Monday Kit is essentially everything you need for a smooth start:
- Bag packed
- Clothes picked out
- A to-do list with your top 3 priorities for the week
By doing this, you give yourself peace of mind and free up your Sunday for rest. Come Monday, you’re crystal clear, ready to go, and much less anxious.
- Tidy Your Nest
A busy mind often fuels Sunday Scaries. One simple way to ease that mental noise is to give your brain small, manageable tasks it can control. This helps release dopamine - the feel-good hormone - while also clearing your space and your head.
Think of those “itty bitty” tasks that constantly nag you during the week. For example, my Tupperware drawer seems to attack me every time I open it – tiny pots, jars, and containers raining down like chaos. But when I take the time on Sunday to tidy it, it feels like a love letter to my future self. When Monday-me opens the drawer, she exhales - one less thing on her plate.
Other calming “nest-tidying” activities include:
- Meal prepping
- Folding laundry
- Organizing a cluttered drawer
If you do them in silence, they become mindful activities. Notice the sound of sizzling pans, the texture of fabrics, or the rhythm of folding. This gives your brain a break from constant stimulation. That said, if silence feels difficult, there’s no shame in putting on a podcast or cosy TV show – the key is doing it with presence and care.
- Movement and Sleep
Anxiety is like electricity – it wants to move. If we don’t channel it, it can spiral inward and overwhelm us. Movement is one of the most effective remedies for Sunday night anxiety.
This doesn’t mean you need a perfect workout routine. Movement can look different depending on your energy:
- A run, swim, or tennis match with friends
- Gentle yoga or stretching
- A calming evening walk
The point is simply to move your body in a way that feels doable that day.
Equally important is sleep. Research shows that irregular or poor sleep impacts our mental health and spikes cortisol, the stress hormone. While the weekend often tempts us to stay up late, prioritizing rest on Sunday night makes a huge difference for Monday anxiety. Think of it as giving your brain and body the gift of recovery.
- Make Monday Special
This is my favourite tip for managing the Sunday Scaries: give yourself something to look forward to on Mondays.
Mondays don’t have to only mean stress and responsibility – they can also hold small, joyful rituals. For example:
- Listen to your favourite podcast only on your commute
- Treat yourself to your favourite coffee or a special lunch
- Read a chapter of a novel on your break
- Do a quick creative hobby like sketching, crochet, or journaling
- Have lunch in a favourite spot with a view or cozy atmosphere
By sprinkling your week with meaningful, enjoyable moments, you prevent weekends from being your only safe haven. Instead, you weave in little reminders of who you are and what you love - even during the bustle of work and responsibilities.
Final Thoughts: Sunday Scaries and Support
The Sunday Scaries are incredibly common, and these tips can really help ease them. That said, if your Sunday night anxiety feels intense, overwhelming, or persistent, it may be a sign of deeper stress or burnout.
Therapy can help you understand and work through the root of your anxiety so that Sundays – and Mondays – no longer feel so heavy.
👉 If you’re struggling with Sunday Scaries and want support, I help clients with exactly this. Get in touch today to find out how we can work together to make your week feel lighter, calmer, and more manageable.