It’s not unusual to struggle with a bout of anxiety as Sunday afternoon turns into Sunday night. Monday looms and a busy week lies ahead, and for whatever reason, Sunday night is where it all comes to boil and marinate. And then, when it’s time to finally put our heads down and sleep, there’s this underlining feeling of ickiness – maybe one particular concern for the week or maybe for nothing in particular – that creeps in and prevents us from falling asleep. Of course, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because a bad night of sleep on Sunday will lead to Monday morning exhaustion. The endless Ferris wheel ride of Sunday night emotion is, simply put, no fun. A few simple actions will help you get off that ride, get a good night’s sleep, and hopefully find some fresh perspective on the week ahead.
Be mindful.
Anticipate Sunday night anxiety by prioritizing the usual weekend chores and consider setting a timer. When the to-do list gets particularly long, it can be helpful to break those items into smaller, more manageable goals and some helpful shortcuts.
One of my go-to shortcuts on a busy weekend is to order my groceries online for delivery or pick up. I don’t go for a large order, just a few essentials and a couple of dinner ideas that can get me through Monday and Tuesday night.
To sleep in or not to sleep in, that is the question. Sometimes you really need the extra sleep, but that extra hour in the morning when you can get up early, ideally before the rest of the house, to putter about and do your own thing can make a world of difference.
Power down.
This is especially true on a Sunday night. Our cell phones are one of the biggest inhibitors of sleep and can contribute to anxiety. The light from the phone stimulates our brains, making it difficult to fall asleep, but the constant scrolling through a stressful news cycle or the rabbit hole of social media doesn’t help reduce Sunday night stress. As difficult as it is to tear ourselves away, putting the smartphone away on Sunday is a healthy strategy.
Journalling, meditation, and stretching before bed are great ways to alleviate and anticipate; to alleviate anxiety for the week ahead by anticipating the week ahead. A journal is a great place to put down your thoughts, worries, accomplishments, and those little gratitudes that we sometimes forget to remember. The journal is also a place to jot down what lies ahead; when we have a grasp of what the week will hold, we can better manage the potential for stress.
Meditation can help to calm the mind while some light stretching before bed helps calm the body. As much as we want to dive under the covers and fall into a blissful sleep, inevitably this feeling of ickiness bubbles to the surface. One solution: a few minutes of breathing meditation and simple stretching can have a profound impact on the ability to fall asleep.
Pace yourself.
As the all-too-brief weekend races to its end and the long work week looms ahead, it is important to pace ourselves. Give yourself time to rest on the weekend so that when Sunday night does come, you’re not suddenly overwhelmed, overtired, and overly stressed. It’s unreasonable to expect life to always be organized so setting reasonable goals and expectations and giving ourselves a break from the hullabaloo is essential.
Plan something fun during the week, a family game night, a special meal or treat, a dinner out with friends, or a little bit of self-care, a popcorn-slippers-movie night midweek, any one of these gives us something fun to look forward to during the week as settle in for Sunday night.
We can manage those Sunday night “scaries” by implementing strategies that will keep anxiety low, sleep high, and perspective in place. The Monday thru Friday 9-to-5 is coming, no matter what, making Sunday night an essential part of the workweek. If you do experience heightened anxiety, seek out a doctor’s advice to address an ongoing issue. For the occasional bout with the Sunday scaries, try a few of these tips for a restful Sunday night.