If you’ve ever experienced the “Sunday scaries,” you’re not alone.
While there’s excitement surrounding the start of the weekend, come Sunday night, many people find themselves dreading the forthcoming day.
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According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, 66% of professionals say that they face anxiety ahead of the start of the work week.
The survey defines the phenomenon as “stress and anxiousness” that falls on a Sunday night before a person is set to return to work the following day.
Dr. Susanne Cooperman, neuropsychologist and a psychoanalyst at NYU Langone Health, told NBC News that the “Sunday scaries” are an “anticipatory anxiety.”
She explained that it’s “not the stress in the moment, but the anticipation of what will come" that "puts people in this fight or flight mode.”
Dr. Cooperman noted that there’s also a psychological component: “The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and they release adrenaline and cortisol,” she explains, adding, “They flood the system and you have a real stress reaction and it feels like real anxiety.”
The poll surveyed roughly 3,000 Americans and found that the occurrence is at an all time high, likely due to the pandemic.
About 41% believe that the coronavirus pandemic has either caused or intensified their case of the “Sunday scaries.”
And while there’s many people who say they experienced the occurrence prior to the pandemic, 31% of male employees pinpointed COVID-19 as itss trigger.
However, not everyone was equally as affected.
The poll found that Millennials and Gen Z were more likely to feel anxiety, with as many as 78% of respondents in the demographic reporting experiences with “Sunday scaries.”
Since the phenomenon is so prevalent, Catherine Fisher, a career expert at LinkedIn Career, told Fox News that there were things people could do ahead of the work week to ease the stress.
"A few things you can do proactively to help you feel excited to get back to work include building an action plan on Sunday night so you can hit the ground running on Monday morning or planning something to look forward to on Monday, like a virtual coffee date with a favorite colleague,” she suggested.
Dr. Courtney Tracy, a therapist, told ABC7, that the pandemic has made it more “difficult for Americans to determine what their Mondays are going to be like,” which could be a trigger for the evening blues.
Tracy noted that some things that may contribute to the uncertainty of the upcoming work week include having no idea “regulations are going to change” or “when our responsibilities are going to change.”
However, she suggested embracing a calming routine that includes “meditation, slow journaling, and even perhaps a soothing Sunday playlist can help.”
“Sunday scaries usually feels like anxiety, restlessness and irritation, so outdoor activities, intentional movement and hanging out with friends can help that as well,” she added.
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