Sunday night blues? Five tips for coping

Olivia Leimpeters-Leth

12.3.2023

Translation: machine translated

Are you feeling overwhelmed, sad or worried? This wouldn't happen to be Sunday, would it? It could well be a case of the Sunday night blues. Don't panic, there's a cure for that.

"I've had a lot of problems in my life, most of which never happened". This phrase is attributed to the author Mark Twain, but he wasn't the only one who tended to catastrophise. It seems that you and I can't find inner peace either, especially at the end of the day on Sundays. That moment when unpleasant feelings suddenly flood in, like unease, fear, worry and the anxious contemplation of the never-ending list. Things to do next week. Experts call this feeling the Sunday night blues (in English-speaking countries, it's also known as Monday anxiety).

"The Sunday night blues is a kind of anticipation of fear," explains occupational psychologist and coach Christine Hoffmann. By this we mean worry about things that haven't happened yet and probably won't". The psychologist sheds light on how the Sunday night blues work, how to deal with them and why we don't need to quit our jobs to get rid of them.

What's behind it all?

Sunday is probably not your favourite day. In the afternoon, sadness, irritability, fear and worry start to overwhelm you. You get the Sunday evening blues. This feeling can be an indicator of overwork and a lack of pleasure at work. But it's often due to a polarised view of the week, explains the expert: "The weekend is synonymous with rest and pleasure, while working days are synonymous with stress. On Sunday afternoons, we feel a strong sense of getting down to business. We don't look forward to the next five days."

You have the impression that you don't enjoy your Sunday enough. Friday evening and Saturday are full of activities and Sunday is for recuperating. You sleep in and stay at home all day. These activities are less joyful and less meaningful than what I do on Saturday," says the psychologist. What's more, if I stay at home all day, I have more time to think. I let my imagination run wild and fears automatically form about what might happen next week."

How does this feeling manifest itself and how long does it persist?

The Sunday night blues come in many different forms. Often it manifests as unpleasant feelings such as fear or panic, which can even cause physical symptoms in some people. "Our body is a good source of feedback. Some people suffer from headaches, some from tension here and there and some have a lump in their stomach," says Christine Hoffmann.

Usually, the Sunday evening blues are over by Monday afternoon at the latest. According to the weekly mood curve, we reach a peak of good mood on Friday afternoon. The work week is over and the to-dos are done. The good mood carries you through the weekend, until Sunday afternoon, when it starts to drop, before reaching its lowest level on Monday morning. From Tuesday to Thursday, your mood is relatively constant, at least statistically. That's according to a study by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The research team analysed the mood of internet users based on their social media posts and came to the following conclusion: "We are particularly kind to ourselves from Thursday afternoon, and particularly unpleasant from Sunday afternoon".

Resigning or consulting: relevant solutions?

Even if you recognise yourself in the previous paragraphs, this is not necessarily a sign that you should resign. In general, with a positive professional attitude and good organisation of the week and weekend, you can already improve a lot. Occupational psychologists say that no one should put themselves through work that doesn't give them pleasure. But if you're doing well from Monday to Saturday, the Sunday night blues surely stem from the feeling that you didn't get enough out of your weekend.

But the Sunday night blues can be a symptom of low joie de vivre or dissatisfaction at work. Do you experience little joy during the week and feel that your personal fulfilment would be better in a different working environment? "In this case, coaching sessions can help determine whether you need to change something in your attitude or in your working environment. "

Tips against the Sunday night blues

Before you change anything about your work situation, start with a little introspection: what rituals help you integrate joy into your daily work and how can you organise your week to have more good times?

Here are five tips from psychologist Christine Hoffmann to help you overcome the Sunday night blues.

1. Empathise with yourself

"Accepting your feelings and remembering to love yourself is the first step to successfully dealing with the Sunday blues," advises Hoffmann. If you don't accept yourself, the blues will only get worse. Ask yourself what would make you happy and feel good, and how you can take care of yourself. "Accepting unpleasant feelings is the first step to moving on."

2. Why am I susceptible to the blues?

If you know what darkens your mood and where that feeling of overwhelm on a Sunday afternoon comes from, you'll be able to deal with it better, says the psychologist. "I advise those affected to write down how they feel. As soon as we put the problems into words, we can find solutions to resolve them". So, if all your Sunday afternoon attempts at relaxation fail, you can make a to-do list for the week ahead and prioritise what's really important. "Writing things down makes the week clearer and more manageable. You'll be better able to see which appointments are unimportant and can be rescheduled."

3. Get some fresh air

A change of scenery and exercise in the fresh air can do wonders for the blues. High levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, can be combated by three simple things: moving, breathing deeply and drinking water. Exercise allows you to take a step back from the problems of everyday life and enjoy a fulfilling activity, even on a Sunday. By arranging to meet up with acquaintances for a run or a walk together on a Sunday afternoon, "we get moving and can talk about what we've experienced that's great and what we're looking forward to next week."

4. Balance your week

To lessen the separation between the working week and the relaxing weekend, it's helpful to organise the week in a more balanced way. "You can, for example, consciously plan moments during the week that give you pleasure," advises Christine Hoffmann. A dinner with loved ones at the beginning or middle of the week can already make a big difference.

With convivial moments during the week, you make a more balanced transition once the weekend is over. With a more positive apprehension. And most importantly, "you get out of the polarising logic that special activities are only for the weekend. This technique for improving your blues works every time."

5. Reframe Sundays

Stopping the Sunday blues starts on Sunday. If your work generally gives you enough satisfaction, the problem probably isn't the fatal Monday, but the way you organise your Sunday. Fill it with new things that are enjoyable and make you feel good. The expert advises scheduling these activities at the precise moments of the day when the blues are strongest. "Anyone can transform their Sunday so that it becomes the best day of the week."

Olivia Leimpeters-Leth

Autorin von customize mediahouse

oliver.fischer@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm a sucker for flowery turns of phrase and allegorical language. Clever metaphors are my Kryptonite – even if, sometimes, it's better to just get to the point. Everything I write is edited by my cat, which I reckon is more «pet humanisation» than metaphor. When I'm not at my desk, I enjoy going hiking, taking part in fireside jamming sessions, dragging my exhausted body out to do some sport and hitting the occasional party. more

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