Self care sunday – Get rid of your sunday scaries

Sundays are supposed to be the day of rest, relaxation, and calm. But, sometimes they can be the WORST! I often get stuck doing household chores, planning my week, or getting groceries – ew. Monday (you know, the first day of the work week and usually the slowest and most horrific day of the week) is looming around the corner… taunting you… scaring you. Well, get ready to say “SUNDAY SCARIES BEGONE” with the self care sunday tips I’ve got for you and all your besties, too.

Sunday Scaries | Self Care Sundays | Tips to Feel Ready for Monday

Sunday Scaries

If you haven’t already heard the term “Sunday Scaries”, you’ve probably experienced it once or twice… or a hundred times. If you work a typical Monday-Friday job and you don’t absolutely love your job, you probably get this icky feeling on a Sunday night…

According to Emily Pandise of NBC News,

Sunday scaries, Sunday night blues … they’re just different names for the same feeling of dread that many of us experience before heading back to world after a weekend away. The term “Sunday scaries,” although not scientific, describes a common feeling of anxiety that builds up over the course of Sunday afternoon and evening.

Essentially, it’s your brain and body begging you to stay home, read a book, relax, drink tea, call a friend… anything except work on Monday.

Many different feelings can come with Sunday Scaries. Everyone experiences it differently. Some may feel stress, anxiety, or dread, while others feel depressed, angry, or uneasy.

Your feelings may depend, too, on how you feel about your work or your job. If you really dislike your job or your boss, you may feel stronger feelings against going back to work. If you love your job, your symptoms of the Sunday Scaries may not be as noticeable, if they are noticeable at all.

Self Care Sundays

Taking some time on Sundays to practice self care is vital to having a successful Monday. Self care can help to release and relieve feelings of stress and overwhelm, so if you do your favorite self care activities on Sunday afternoon or evening, you are likely to start off more level headed and ready for work on Monday morning.

Ideas:

Take a bath/bubble bath with your favorite products
Drink lots of water
Eat at least one balanced meal
Do some yoga
Go for a walk outside
Sit down and read a book
Have your favorite snack
Watch a movie (maybe one you haven’t seen in a while or one you loved as a kid)
Do some breathing exercises – try box breathing
Put together a puzzle
Crochet/knit
Watch your favorite tv show (right now, I’m addicted to Bridgerton on Netflix)
Write in a journal
Put together a Lego set
Take care of your plants
Organize or clean a space you’ve been meaning to get to forever
Write out your to-do list for the week
Cook or bake one of your favorites
Chat with your bestie(s) or your family (origin or chosen) or your partner
Listen to your favorite playlist
Go for a drive (buckle up and be safe, please <3)
Take a break from social media
Burn your favorite candle or incense
Have a dance party in your kitchen (or wherever suits you best)

Tips for your Self Care Sunday

Much like a mental health day, a self care Sunday has to be intentional and effective, otherwise it may not support you as well as you would’ve hoped. It’s important to set aside at least a couple of hours for your self care, if not the whole day. Being mindful of how you spend a self care Sunday is necessary to making the most of the day (or the couple hours) that you have, and ensuring you are mentally, emotionally, and physically ready for the work week. With that being said, here are some tips to make your self care day the best it can be:

If you’re an introvert, be an introvert; If you’re an extrovert, be an extrovert

As an introvert myself, I always catch myself making plans for days that I know that I need to relax. Inevitably, I either end up going and return with my social battery in the negatives, or I drop said plans last minute (which I hate doing, I don’t want to be flaky).

Try to honor whatever you feel would give you the most energy. For example, I know that I need to be alone/at home to recharge. However, I know many others (extroverts) who get their energy from spending time with people and socializing. Some people (omniverts) can do both! Spend the day recharging your social and emotional battery, not draining it.

Try not to doom scroll

I don’t know about you, but I am 1000% addicted to TikTok. I often find myself getting sucked into my TikTok for you page for hours on end – I always end up feeling guilty and groggy after that, though. If you’re like me, try to take a step away from your favorite socials that get you sucked in for hours. It will likely benefit you (if you’re able to) to put your phone away for your whole self care Sunday.

If you’re feeling unmotivated…

If you know you have chores/work to get done, and doing said chores and work will make you feel more prepared for the week, try to cross a few of those off your to do list. In my experience, the hardest part is getting started. Once I’m in it, I’m able to fixate on that task and get it done.

If you’re like me, try starting a pomodoro timer. A pomodoro timer is a timer that allows you to take breaks during your work. I typically set mine for 20-5-20-5-20-10. So I work for 20 minutes, have a 5 minute break, and then after two more work timers, I get a long break. A lot of times, I will lengthen the first 20 minutes to 30 or 40 because I go into focus mode as soon as I get started.

Moral of the story is that self care Sundays are important to feeling prepared, ready, and full of energy before your work week begins. Take time to take care of you, and do what you know will help you. If you’re not sure, maybe give a few new things a try, and you might find the self care activity that sticks!

Tata for now <3