Hi, I'm Kara Sutterfield and this is my podcast.
After over 20 years of leading one -on -one and
group coaching in professional settings, I developed
a passion for helping other women uncover who
they long to become and how to live into that
vision of self today. Let's deep dive into this
profound exploration together, discover how best
to embody the highest version of ourselves, and
take action in this present moment. To Be Her
Now. Welcome back to the To Be Her Now podcast.
I am so thrilled to be here with you. My name
is Kara and I am your host. And today we are
going to talk about the Sunday Scaries. I was
having lunch with some co -workers recently and
one of them mentioned getting the Sunday Scaries
and as a result sort of rearranging their time
on the weekend to help alleviate that. And just
in case you're not as informed just like I was
not as informed, I had to look up what the Sunday
Scaries were to make sure I understood what she
was saying. So here is the definition. The Sunday
Scaries refer to the feelings of anxiety and
dread or unease that many people experience on
a Sunday usually in the afternoon or evening
kind of as the weekend is winding down and the
upcoming work week starts to loom. It's actually
super common It can feel like a pit in your stomach,
raising thoughts, irritability, or just a general
sense of stress about responsibilities, deadlines,
or returning to a routine, and often tied to
burnout, a lack of work -life balance, or even
a deeper dissatisfaction with one's job or lifestyle.
The idea caught my attention because I have absolutely
experienced the Sunday scaries at various points
in my adult life. And I'm at a point that I don't
really experience them very often now. And so
I thought I'd compile a list of several ways
to help combat them in how you structure your
weekend. So here we go. Here are some ways to
combat the Sunday scaries if you are currently
experiencing them. And I actually liked the way
this was brought up by my friend because she
was saying that she had to start rearranging
her weekend and how she spent her time. So she
used to get all of her errands and all of her
things done on Saturday and then spend Sunday
relaxing. But she started to notice that she
would get the Sunday scaries with all of that
time to rest and be still. And so she actually
flip -flopped how she handles her weekends now.
She takes a rest day on Saturday to recoup from
the week and at a time when she's not going to
get overwhelmed with thoughts of work because
she knows she still has a whole day. And then
she spends Sunday preparing for the week ahead
and all of that action and that busyness both
alleviate the anxiety because she's doing things
in the way of preparing for the week and also
just keep her busy so that she's not sitting
around with those looming thoughts. But here
are seven more ideas to combat the Sunday scaries.
Number one. Create a Sunday ritual that you look
forward to. So instead of letting Sunday evenings
become a countdown to Monday, intentionally design
a ritual that nourishes you. For example, you
could cook a favorite meal like a homemade pasta
or a cozy stew. You know, maybe you listen to
music while you're doing that. Something that
just soothes you, takes you out of your head,
gets you in the moment. You could light candles,
put on something soft and cozy, and curl up with
a book you've been saving. Or you could maybe
watch a nostalgic movie or a feel -good show
that brings warmth instead of overstimulation
to something to really relax. You could even
do something like create a Sunday self -care
basket. And you could fill it with items like
a face mask, maybe your favorite tea, your journal,
cozy socks, maybe essential oils, anything that
becomes your sacred wind down time. You just
sort of have it all in one place and something
you look forward to. Ultimately, the goal here
would be to teach your nervous system to associate
Sunday nights with comfort and not dread. Idea
number two is to plan your week gently. Maybe
set aside 10 to 15 minutes to review your upcoming
week so that you can shift from anxiety and into
empowerment because you will have a plan. You
could maybe use a planner or a whiteboard to
sort of sketch out your top three priorities
for the week. Not everything, just a few major
focuses that you're going to walk into Monday
morning knowing that you're going to tackle.
If you have the control over your schedule, maybe
try moving high -energy tasks like meetings or
errands or coaching to later in the week if possible
so that Monday feels more calm and more manageable.
Also, this is meant to be a brief overview. Don't
try to solve everything on Sunday. Just give
yourself a broad sketch just so nothing sneaks
up on you. You could even choose one anchoring
habit to focus on during the week. like walking
daily or drinking more water rather than overwhelming
yourself with a full routine or overhaul. Think
of this as preparing a soft place to land, not
gearing up to battle. That idea will work if
you are someone who feels like you're running
into your weak blind. But if you're someone who
overthinks, the third idea is for you sort of
the opposite of our second one. The third idea
to combat the Sunday Scaries is to limit work
related thoughts. One of the biggest Sunday scaries
triggers is to mentally dive into the work week
too early. And if this is you, you might try
a few of these things associated with limiting
your work -related thoughts. Set a clear boundary.
No work emails or slack messages after a certain
time or at all on Sunday if you can. Or you could
try muting work notifications or even delete
apps temporarily if they're too tempting. When
work thoughts pop up, jot them down on a notepad
and remind yourself this is a Monday thought.
I can let it go for now. Or you can even try
replacing the urge to get ahead with something
nourishing. Maybe try a creative hobby or a walk
outside or time with loved ones. Just remember
that Monday you is absolutely capable and Sunday
you deserves rest to prepare for the week. The
fourth idea I have to combat the Sunday scaries
is to move your body. I actually talk about this
a lot in different contexts, but movement can
work magic on your nervous system, especially
when it's done with the intention to care for
yourself and not to punish yourself. So here's
some ideas to get your body moving. Go for a
walk in nature and leave your phone at home so
that you can really let your senses rest. Or
maybe you could try a short 15 minute yoga session
or stretch while listening to calming music.
You could even dance around your living room
to your favorite song. Movement doesn't have
to be structured. It just has to feel good. Maybe
do some light gardening or yard work. Get your
hands in the dirt and reconnect with the earth.
Moving your body helps shift anxious energy into
a more grounded presence. My fifth idea is to
connect with someone. Anxiety thrives in isolation
and a moment of connection can be so powerful
in helping move you out of it. It can be as simple
as calling a friend or a family member just to
chat. You don't have to have an agenda and you
don't have to have updates ready to go, but just
to reach out and connect. Maybe you could cook
dinner together with your partner or your kids
or roommate and share one thing that you're grateful
for. Because remember, negativity or anxiety
and positivity or gratitude cannot function in
your brain at the same time. So it's an automatic
way to switch it off. You can invite someone
to go on a Sunday walk or coffee date. It doesn't
have to be deep, just connecting. It would also
kill two birds with one stone by getting your
body moving. I know sometimes connecting with
others can be tough, especially if you live alone.
So it can even just be to send a voice note to
someone you care about or even chat with your
neighbor. Being seen and heard by another human
can reset your entire emotional state. Okay,
the sixth idea I have for combating the Sunday
scaries is to make Monday better as much as is
in your control. Part of Sunday anxiety comes
from the belief that Monday will be hard or dreadful.
Refrain that by adding something to look forward
to. Maybe plan a fun breakfast on Monday or something
that feels like a treat. You could download a
podcast you love and save it for your Monday
commute or walk. You could wear something that
makes you feel confident and cozy. or even schedule
something small and uplifting on your calendar,
like a coffee ketchup, or a lunch break outside,
or a midday walk. When you plant joy into Monday,
you water down the fear. An idea number seven
to combat the Sunday scaries and start to look
forward to Monday is to reflect instead of dread.
Sundays are a sacred threshold. Rather than spinning
in anxiety, use this time to reflect and integrate.
Here's some prompts that you can use. What went
well last week? big or small. What did you learn
about yourself or others? What can you release
from last week that you no longer need to carry?
What would make you proud by next Sunday? You
could write these out in a journal or talk them
out with a loved one or simply take a moment
in silence to just think about these things.
This turns Sunday from a pit of dread into a
platform for growth. And speaking of a platform
for growth, I think it's worth noting whether
or not you tend to spend your weekend avoiding
the life that you have, meaning that you're numbing
out, you're zoning out by watching TV or scrolling,
you're drinking too much, you're running off
the rails, eating a whole bunch of things that
aren't going to make you feel great. Or are you
spending your weekend building the life that
you actually want? Are you investing in yourself?
Are you studying something new? Are you looking
for a different job? Are you spending time with
people that uplift and grow you? Are you reading?
Are you meal prepping? Are you taking great care
of yourself so that as the weeks pass, you're
making headway in the directions that matter
to you? The Sunday Scaries aren't just about
Monday. They're about feeling out of control,
disconnected, or depleted. These practices may
help you return to yourself, to the present moment,
and to the power you already have to shape your
days. I hope you found this list helpful and
I really look forward to connecting with you
again next week. Thanks for joining. We'll talk
soon.