Beat Sunday Scaries: 9 Things You Should Do Every Sunday

Here are 9 things you should do each Sunday to reset your life and beat Sunday scaries.

‘Sunday Scaries’ has become a quite popular term to describe the anxiety and nervous feelings of the weekend coming to an end and the new week beginning.

It is the constant reminder than in a just a short time, the work week will start back up and our responsibilities will resume. Ugh!

While Sunday scaries have become a comedic way to express these distressing feelings, it is comforting to know that you are not the only one affected by it.

And hopefully it is more comforting to know that you CAN limit and calm these feelings by investing some time preparing for the week and resetting your life each Sunday.

So, here are 9 things you should do on Sunday to beat the Sunday scaries!

Looking for more ways to reset after a long week? Check out this post, 10 Best Self-Care Tips After a Long Week

Recommended Reads:

8 Effective Tips to Manage a Lot Of Things at Once

How to Find Your Purpose in Life When You Feel Lost

10 Rejuvenating Steps for Your Detox Week & A Healthy Reset

9 Things to Do to Beat the Sunday Scaries

1. Clean your house

It is inevitable that your house may get a little dirty throughout the week.

I live with only one other person and even our small, little apartment needs a good refresher by the end of the week. Then add on a few more people, kids or pets and you desperately need a Sunday cleaning sesh.

Whatever your case may be, cleaning your house and doing the chores that don’t get done during the week can be help keep your living space clean and promote health.

In a study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that even a 20-minute session of cleaning reduces stress and anxiety and reduces the risk of psychological difficulties.

In addition, cleaning is also found to increase the “feel-good” chemicals in the brain, endorphins. Check out 25 other ways to increase dopamine, another “feel-good” chemical in the brain.

Some weekend cleaning activities may include:

• Mopping the floors
• Vacuuming each room
• Dusting
• Wiping down surfaces
• Cleaning appliances/bathroom
• Tidying up

2. Practice some self-care

The week can without a doubt be exhausting and busy at times. By Sunday you may feel overwhelmed and burnt out.

When this happens, taking some time to practice self-care is important at maintaining your mental well-being.

This will help to combat the stress and pressure of every life and responsibilities and give you time to recharge.

Some self-care activities include:

• Spend time outside
• Take a bath
• Watch a movie with popcorn
• Make a fresh smoothie
• Eat a healthy meal
• Engage in exercise
• Do a facial mask/exfoliate

Read more: How to Mentally Recharge After a Stressful Day: Feel-Good Guide, How to Mentally Recharge After a Stressful Day: Feel-Good Guide

3. Do your laundry

You either love it or hate it, but we all got to do it.

By Sunday, the clothes have piled up and you might not have enough socks or underwear to get you through the next week. Definitely don’t want that!

Do your future self a favor and get it done during the weekend so you don’t have to worry and dig through a pile of clothes to find what you are looking for.

And if you are someone that lives out of a clean pile of clothes because you don’t want to put it away, I’ve been there. But I promise is much better to just put it away as soon as they are clean and go on with your life.

4. Meal Prep

Meal prep is a big one if you are trying to eat healthier and save some money that you would’ve spent going through drive-throughs and restaurants for each meal.

If you are new to meal prep, I recommend you start with lunches. I typically only meal prep my lunches as I don’t have access or time to make them during the workday.

Simply make a big batch of whatever kind of lunches you want that week and put in a container.

There are a ton of different meal prep recipes out there but my all-time favorite lunch to meal prep is burrito bowls. You can also find a bunch of meal prep ideas here.

5. Plan your week

One of the most beneficial things I do each Sunday to calm my anxiety and nerves about tackling another week of responsibilities is planning my week.

Using a planner and mapping out your tasks and schedule for the week will allow your mind to feel more at peace and organized.

This is a big one!

Whether you use a digital planner app, piece of paper, white board or calendar, planning out your week so you can see everything you have to do and how you are going to fit it into the week not only will help with productivity but also ease your Sunday scaries.

6. Go for a walk

I have really come to LOVE going for a walk. (I also moved to Colorado at the beginning of the summer so how can you not? Talk about the perfect weather!)

However, this appreciation and love for a simple walk can be shared by everyone no matter where you are.

Walking is a really good way to move your body at a lower intensity and impact. In fact, a 30-minute walk everyday can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, build power & endurance and improve your overall health and well-being.

Walking can help decompress the mind, boost your mood and increase blood flow to the brain and body. 

Pop on some earphones and listen to music or your favorite podcast and just enjoy!

7. Eat a good meal

During the weekend, you might have a little extra time to spend making an awesome, nutritious meal. Take that opportunity to make a good meal for you to enjoy and fuel your body.

What you eat directly affects how you feel, your mood and your energy. Eating nutrient-rich foods lead to fewer mood swings and improved focus.

I like to make a meal that includes at least one source of protein, one carbohydrate, and one vegetables.

8. Prioritize work-life balance

One of the common factors I have seen that causes Sunday scaries is the fact that you do not have good work-life balance.

During the week, you wake up as late as possible to get to work on time, work all day, and then come home after work, go to sleep and repeat.

There is nothing during the week that excites you or fills you bucket. What I mean by that is, you NEED to do things during the week with your time away from work. Things that make you happy.

Although you can’t always control how late you stay at work or for how long you are there, but you can choose how to spend the rest of your time you have left in the day. 

Simple things you can do including waking up 20 minutes earlier to enjoy a cup of coffee or take a walk. You can do something fun after work. Or even join an adult sports league that gathers once a week after work.

Use the week as an opportunity for new experiences instead of a prisoner to work. If you want to beat Sunday scaries, you need to have better work-life balance throughout the week.

9. Go to sleep early

By the end of the day, Monday is creepy upon us. However, hopefully after doing a few of the things listed above, you are feeling better and ready to take the week.

The only thing left to do it sleep! Use Sunday as a time to catch up on your sleep by going to bed early.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that adults ages 18-60 years old get at least 7 hours of sleep each night to promote optimal health and well-being.

If you have trouble falling asleep or feel tired upon waking up, you may want to try a night routine to promote better sleep.

That is it! I hope you rock your week and beat Sunday scaries! Feel free to reach out with any questions or comments!