Sunday scaries: Managing workplace anxiety and weekend dread

The phenomenon of ‘Sunday scaries’—the anxiety and dread experienced before the workweek begins—is being addressed through both psychological and lifestyle lenses.

Workplace expert Hannah Stalton notes that while feeling low-energy on a Sunday is common, chronic dread can be a sign of a problematic job. Warning signs include physical symptoms such as tension headaches, nausea, or vomiting, as well as mental patterns like catastrophizing. When anxiety begins to impact sleep or consumes the entire weekend rather than just Sunday evening, it may indicate a need to reconsider one's employment.

As a way to manage these feelings, lifestyle recommendations include using entertainment to ease the transition into the week. For instance, streaming services like Hulu offer feel-good movie options, such as ‘Wicked’, ‘A Complete Unknown’, and ‘ParaNorman’, to help viewers find comfort during Sunday night viewing.