Resource · ~5 min read
The Sunday scaries.
In short
The Sunday scaries are the anxiety and dread many people feel on Sunday afternoon or evening as the working week approaches. They usually come from unfinished tasks held in your head and a forecast that Monday will be worse than it turns out to be. What helps is closing the week on Friday, planning something for Sunday evening, giving worries a fixed slot and starting Monday gently.
Rose Markotic · Anxiety Skills Coach
Rose’s path here runs through more than a decade of clinical training and practice — graduate training at Santa Clara University and years inside Dr. David Burns’ TEAM-CBT group at Stanford, the home of the measurement-driven framework.
Why do I get the Sunday scaries?
Sunday is when the weekend’s distance from work runs out. Unfinished tasks, emails you know are waiting and the meeting you’re dreading all return at once, and your mind starts rehearsing the week. It’s anticipatory anxiety: the dread is about what might happen, so it often feels worse than Monday itself.
How to get rid of the Sunday scaries
1. Close the week on Friday
Spend ten minutes on Friday afternoon writing down what's unfinished and the first three things you'll do on Monday. Much of Sunday's dread is your mind trying to hold the open loops; on paper, they stop circling.
2. Plan something for Sunday evening
An empty Sunday evening leaves room for the dread to fill. Put something small and enjoyable there on purpose: a walk, a film, a meal with someone, a bath and a book.
3. Give the worry a slot
If thoughts about Monday keep arriving, give them fifteen minutes in the early afternoon, not at bedtime. Write them down with one next step each, then close the notebook.
4. Test the Monday forecast
Sunday dread usually predicts a worse Monday than you actually get. Write down what you expect, then check it on Monday evening. Over a few weeks the gap between forecast and reality becomes hard to ignore.
5. Make Monday morning kinder
Start the week with the easiest task on your list, or something you enjoy, rather than the one you're dreading most. A gentle first hour changes how the whole day feels.
6. Notice what the dread is pointing at
If the scaries are about one meeting or one person, that's useful information. If they're about the job as a whole, every week, it may be worth looking at whether the work still fits.
If the thoughts keep you awake on Sunday night, see how to stop overthinking and anxiety at night. If the dread is every day, not just Sundays, see how to recover from burnout and anxiety coaching for professionals. For the bigger picture, see work-life balance.
When to see a licensed professional
If dread about work is constant, stops you sleeping most nights, comes with panic attacks or low mood that lasts for weeks, or with thoughts of harming yourself, please see your GP or a licensed professional. Coaching teaches skills; it isn’t a substitute for clinical care. The crisis resources page lists 24-hour lines for the UK and across Europe.
Frequently asked
Common questions
- What are the Sunday scaries?
- The Sunday scaries are the anxiety or dread many people feel on Sunday afternoon or evening as the working week approaches. They're a form of anticipatory anxiety: worry about what Monday might bring, which often turns out worse in the forecast than in reality.
- How do I stop the Sunday scaries?
- Close the week on Friday by writing down open tasks and Monday's first three actions, plan something enjoyable for Sunday evening, give worries a fixed slot earlier in the day, and start Monday with an easier task. Checking your Monday forecast against what actually happens also helps.
- Are the Sunday scaries a sign I should quit my job?
- Not necessarily. Most people feel some Sunday dread. But if it's about the job as a whole, every single week, and comes with exhaustion or low mood, it's worth looking honestly at whether the work still fits.
- Can a coach help with work anxiety?
- Yes, with the everyday side: worry about work, switching off, boundaries and the thoughts that drive the dread. Rose works online, in English, with professionals across the UK and Europe. The first 20-minute call is free.
Next step
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