Overcoming the Sunday night blues.
Overcoming the Sunday night blues is not an option I have ever heard being discussed. There seems to just be a complicit acceptance that Sunday nights are going to be the dip in the weekend. Thoughts turn to the week ahead resulting in feelings of anxiety, dread and stress. The valuable weekend relaxation time has suddenly been usurped and it seems as though there is no way to seize back control.
In this blog we will explore the reasons behind the Sunday night blues and how you can help yourself to overcome this feeling and allow yourself to restore these all important hours of relaxation and rest.
What’s (really) behind the Sunday night blues?
Firstly, there is a sense of loss. The weekend, which stretched out with such promise and possibility on Friday is almost over. Sometimes, this is accompanied by feelings of pressure as you realise the many things on your “to do” list that still remain to be done, only now within a rapidly (or so it feels) reducing time frame.
Secondly, the anticipation of the week ahead can reawaken stresses and concerns that you thought you had left at work on Friday. There is an inevitability and immediacy now, and this can engender feelings of not being wholly in control as your days will, inevitably, require you to follow a different agenda, one that is based around priorities that may not wholly align with your own.
And so to bed.
Ironically, it often seems that the more you try to get a good night’s sleep to prepare for the week ahead, the more elusive this can become. Anticipatory anxiety can make it difficult to enjoy the restful sleep you long for, to prepare you for the challenges of the week ahead.
How can I overcome the Sunday night blues?
Plan Ahead
At work
Take time on Friday before you leave work to quickly answer those short answer emails. This will help you to feel less overwhelmed and provide clarity when you return to your inbox after the weekend.
Then list up to 5 action points for Monday morning. A ready made list of action points will enable you to begin your workday swiftly and purposefully.
Practise gratitude. Write down everything that your working week has given you reason to be grateful for, whether these are personal achievements, the kindness of colleagues, or other reasons to celebrate. As you record these moments, your mind will automatically begin to view work in a more positive and helpful light.
At home
Just do it
A little focused time early in the weekend considering which items on your “to do” list require to be actioned and scheduling the necessary time into your weekend in advance, will both reduce your stress and increase your productivity.
Self-care
Embed self-care activities within your Sunday to allow yourself time to rebalance and reboot. Writing or drawing in a journal can be a gentle yet effective way to explore your feelings and thoughts. There is something very releasing about putting them down on paper.
Being outdoors and being active during each day of the weekend will help to release endorphins, the happy hormones, which will assist in reducing your stress and anxiety levels.
Switching off from social media for a few hours can create a very real sense of calm and effectively quieten a busy mind. By switching off you can also avoid the temptation to check your work emails too.
You may wish to plan a relaxing, fun or absorbing activity for Sunday evening. In this way, not only will your thoughts be less likely to stray to considering the week ahead but you will also feel more relaxed when it is time for bed and should enjoy a better quality of sleep.
Is your work causing you significant anxiety or stress ?
Would you like help to manage this more effectively ?
Hypnotherapy can help.
Contact me today for a free consultation to learn how hypnotherapy can help you literally “change your mind”.
As you change the way you think about work, you will find your anxiety and stress levels will decrease as your energy levels and sense of wellbeing rise.
Isn’t it time to banish the blues ?
