Stop Ruining Your Sunday: The Truth About Weekend Anxiety

Sunday: the day you sleep in, order your favourite food, binge watch that latest show, meet friends and tell yourself you still have plenty of time before you tackle your Monday. Then suddenly it’s 7 pm.

It’s chaos that follows. You remember a list of things that need your attention and you realise that you have very little time to do that before you call it a night.

Welcome to the Sunday blues. The frenzy at the end of Sunday sometimes starts in the afternoon and spoils the entire weekend vibe. Because it reminds you of that important meeting, presentation to be made on Monday or that you have so many chores pending. Chill you are not alone. Quite a few go through this malfunction. And quite a few are overwhelmed at the end of a Sunday than fresh.

Not done, right? Sunday is supposed to relax you and rejuvenate you so that you are renewed to take on the coming week.

But you go to sleep with a scare. Dhanashree Rajwade, a media professional, resonates. “Oh God! It’s not even funny!” she says. “How often have I gone to bed on a Sunday with jitters or stressed because I realise at 11PM that my clothes are not ironed and my laptop is not charged. Because this means I get up earlier than usual on Monday or arrive late at work. And just the thought is tiring!”

Bhavit Khardikar, a 26 year old Gen Z agrees. “Honestly, yeah, by Sunday afternoon it hits hard. You’re sitting there, maybe trying to relax, but in the back of your head, you know Monday morning is waiting with a packed calendar and 50 unread emails. There’s always that lingering guilt that I didn’t get enough chores done, or actually rest. Before you know it, the weekend is gone.”

Guilt trip

Things don’t stop being at being anxious. Some go on a guilt trip thinking that they have wasted a day when they could have done something more productive.

“Sometimes, I do feel guilty,” admits Kavita Singh. “If I spend my weekend without working on any new skill apart from my work, I start feeling restless and guilty. I think it happens because the future I want to build can be achieved by being disciplined towards my goals. And in this busy schedule, weekends are my only time where I can work on them.”

Plan the week ahead

Guilt and anxiety is not what a Sunday should bring to anyone. And it’s not so difficult to manage these feelings. All you need is some planning.

Instead of postponing things to ‘later’, do them as soon as you surface on Sunday.

Tackle the day and its challenges first. This will help you enjoy the rest of the day with less remorse.

First, check your Monday planner. Come to terms with the priorities and organise your bag, dress etc.

Second, check your house and plan chores.

Follow up with getting five chores done before you announce the holiday mode.

Mahika Ghanekar, counsellor, says, “Having prepared for Monday before you start your Sunday, leaves you feeling guilt-free when you laze around, binge watch or indulge!”

Family or Me?

Most often people are in a dilemma about how to divide the time between family and ‘me’ time. Especially the youngsters, who have a lot on their mind.

M.S.Bharat, a 32-year-old chartered accountant, has experienced this quite often. “Though I love my family — my parents and younger sister — I also want to spend time my friends. Or sometimes, just with myself, in the bed,” he confesses. “But they want my time on a Sunday because they don’t see me the rest of the week thanks to my crazy working hours. And I feel guilty when I say ‘no’ to them because they ensure I have smooth week by doing my share of chores.”

Best way to tackle this dilemma and not to let it dampen your free spirit is to plan Sunday in advance. Dedicate some time to family and inform them about the slot you have kept for them. Make them happy before you indulge in ‘me’ time. This will ensure that they don’t feel neglected and don’t disturb you when you are doing your things. Also, it will not make you feel guilty for indulging yourself.

Sundays are meant for a reset. Don’t lose them in guilt and frenzy. Planning will help you make maximum use of the day. And start next week fresh!