Heard Of Monday Blues, But What Is Sunday Scaries? Here's A Few Tips To Banish It

If you feel a sense of dread setting in each time Sunday evening rolls around, you just might have a case of the Sunday Scaries. Deadlines, an upcoming exam, a pending report, a mistake that needs attention or a meeting you need to attend – Sunday is less about relaxing and more about preparing for the week ahead. But what’s the reason behind this emotional shift? And what can one do to better prepare for dealing with it?

These are the 3 main factors behind the rise of Sunday Blues in people:

This phenomenon isn’t necessarily only relevant to working people but can also happen to students and entrepreneurs as well. Speaking to HT Lifestyle, Dr Rahul Chandhok, head of psychiatry at Artemis Lite NFC, New Delhi, shares that ‘Sunday blues’ occur as the

brain is anticipating the stress before it actually takes place. “Worrying about the future is one big reason. The brain starts to think about deadlines, unfinished work, responsibilities and stress as Sunday comes to an end,” the psychiatrist noted. So even in the absence of real stressful situations, the mind imagines what it is like to be under pressure again, which triggers that anxiety.

Sunday blues is bound to happen to those who regularly go through extreme stress at work or school and they begin to dread the upcoming week. He added, “Another reason is anxiety that comes from stress at work or school. Sundays can make someone feel more overwhelmed, unhappy and unsupported in their daily life.”

While you might look at it as breaking free from the strenuous cycle, the brain looks at weekends as a disruption of routine. The psychiatrist explained, “People often don’t sleep, eat and do things at the same time on weekends. When Sunday comes, the body and mind have a hard time getting back on a strict schedule, which makes them feel bad and tired.”

Here’s how you can make Mondays easier for you:

Shruti Swaroop, founder of Embrace Consulting and co-founder of the International Inclusion Alliance, shared with HT Lifestyle a few tips for team leaders and employees to effectively deal with Monday blues:

Tips for team leaders

• Kick-off circles: Open Mondays with short, energetic check-ins focused on weekly priorities, intentions, and recent wins to build shared ownership and a supportive team mood.
• Gentle week openings: Reduce burnout by experimenting with staggered start times, focus hours, or meeting-free Monday mornings so people can ease into deep work.
• Skill spark sessions: Dedicate a weekly slot to learning—micro-workshops, internal show-and-tell, or short talk-style presentations that spark curiosity and growth.
• Celebration moments: Use early-week time to spotlight last week’s successes, calling out both group results and individual contributions to keep morale high.
• Wellbeing touches: Weave in simple wellness practices like guided breathing, short wellness talks, quick health screenings, or shared breakfasts to nurture connection and energy.

Tips for employees

• Prepare on Friday: Map out Monday’s top tasks before the weekend to cut Monday stress and start with clarity rather than chaos.
• Choose your vibe: Begin the day with a gratitude list, uplifting playlist, or affirmations to set an optimistic mindset.
• Reach out: Start with warm, purposeful interactions—checking in with teammates or sharing encouragement—to strengthen bonds and lift everyone’s mood.