Sunday afternoon arrives and the dread starts creeping in. Your chest gets tight. Your stomach feels uneasy. You cannot fully enjoy the rest of your weekend because you are already thinking about Monday. By evening, you feel heavy with anxiety about the week ahead.
You tell yourself it is normal. Everyone hates Mondays. But this feels like more than just not wanting to go to work. The anxiety is physical. It ruins your weekends. It affects your sleep. You feel trapped in a cycle where you spend your free time worrying about losing your free time.
If you have been searching Sunday scaries, end of weekend anxiety, or therapy for work stress Colorado, you are recognizing something important. This anxiety is trying to tell you something about your life, your work, or your nervous system.
At Better Lives, Building Tribes, we help people in Colorado understand and address the root causes of Sunday anxiety. This article explores why it happens, what it reveals, and how to find relief.
What Are The Sunday Scaries?
The Sunday scaries describe the anxiety, dread, or low mood that shows up on Sunday evening or Monday morning. It is the feeling that your weekend is ending and you have to return to work, school, or other obligations.
Common symptoms include:
- Tightness in your chest or stomach.
- Difficulty sleeping Sunday night.
- Obsessive thoughts about the week ahead.
- Irritability or low mood on Sunday.
- Physical tension or fatigue.
- Inability to enjoy Sunday because you are already worrying about Monday.
While mild anticipatory stress is normal, intense Sunday anxiety suggests something deeper is happening.
Why Sunday Anxiety Happens
Sunday anxiety is not random. It is your nervous system responding to a perceived threat. Here are common causes:
Work Stress Or Dissatisfaction
If you dread your job, Sunday reminds you that you have to return to it. This might be because of a toxic work environment, overwhelming demands, lack of fulfillment, or a mismatch between your values and your job.
Lack Of Control Or Autonomy
If you feel trapped or powerless in your work or life, Sundays symbolize the end of freedom. You spend the week doing what you have to do, and the weekend is your only escape.
Perfectionism And Overwork
If you constantly feel behind or like you are not doing enough, Sunday triggers anxiety about all the things you did not finish and all the things you need to do.
Chronic Stress And Burnout
If you are already running on empty, Sunday anxiety is your body saying “I do not have the capacity to do this again.” You are not recharging over the weekend because you are too depleted.
Lack Of Meaning Or Purpose
If your work or daily life does not feel meaningful, Sunday reminds you that you are spending most of your time doing things that do not matter to you.
Social Anxiety Or Isolation
If you struggle with social connection or feel lonely at work, Sunday anxiety might be about returning to an environment where you feel unseen or isolated.
What Sunday Anxiety Reveals About Your Life
Sunday anxiety is a symptom, not the problem. It is pointing to something that needs attention:
Your Work Situation Might Be Unsustainable
If you dread work every single week, that is not just Monday blues. It is a sign that something needs to change. Maybe it is the job itself, the workload, the culture, or your relationship with work.
You Might Be Burned Out
Burnout is not just feeling tired. It is chronic exhaustion, cynicism, and a sense of ineffectiveness. If two days off is not enough to recover, you might be burned out.
You Are Not Resting Effectively
If you spend your weekends catching up on chores, scrolling on your phone, or worrying about work, you are not actually resting. Your nervous system never gets to fully relax.
You Have Unmet Needs
Sunday anxiety might reveal unmet needs for autonomy, connection, creativity, or purpose. You might be living a life that does not align with what you actually need.
How To Manage Sunday Anxiety In The Moment
While addressing the root causes takes time, here are ways to ease Sunday anxiety right now:
Limit Sunday Evening Work Prep
Do not spend Sunday evening preparing for Monday. Set a boundary. Monday prep happens during work hours, not your free time.
Create A Sunday Evening Ritual
Build something into Sunday evenings that feels comforting or enjoyable. A walk, a favorite meal, a show you love. This gives you something to look forward to instead of just dread.
Move Your Body
Physical movement helps regulate your nervous system. Go for a walk, stretch, or do something gentle. This can reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety.
Ground Yourself In The Present
Your anxiety is about the future (Monday). Bring yourself back to the present. What can you see, hear, touch right now? What is actually happening in this moment?
Challenge Catastrophic Thinking
Your mind might be imagining worst case scenarios for the week. Ask yourself “What is the most likely outcome, not the worst possible outcome?” and “Even if the worst happens, can I handle it?”
Limit Alcohol
Drinking on Sunday might feel like it helps you relax, but alcohol worsens anxiety and disrupts sleep. This makes Monday harder.
How To Address The Root Causes
Managing symptoms is important, but lasting relief comes from addressing what is causing the anxiety:
Evaluate Your Work Situation
Is your job the problem, or is it how you are approaching work? Sometimes, setting better boundaries or managing workload differently helps. Other times, the job itself is not sustainable.
Build Real Rest Into Your Weekends
Rest is not just doing nothing. It is activities that restore you. For some people, that is quiet alone time. For others, it is social connection or creative projects. Figure out what actually restores you.
Set Boundaries Around Work
If work is bleeding into your personal time, create firmer boundaries. Do not check email on weekends. Do not take calls after a certain time. Protect your rest.
Find Meaning Or Purpose
If your work does not feel meaningful, can you find purpose in other parts of your life? Volunteering, creative projects, or community involvement can provide a sense of purpose outside work.
Address Burnout
If you are burned out, rest alone will not fix it. You need systemic change. This might mean reducing hours, delegating, changing jobs, or getting professional support.
How Therapy Helps With Sunday Anxiety
Therapy helps you understand what is driving your anxiety and make meaningful changes. At Better Lives, Building Tribes, therapy for Sunday anxiety might include:
Identifying The Root Cause
We help you figure out what is actually causing the anxiety. Is it your job? Burnout? Perfectionism? Lack of control? Knowing the why helps you address the right problem.
Building Coping Skills
We teach you tools to manage anxiety in the moment while also working on deeper change.
Exploring Life Changes
Sometimes, Sunday anxiety reveals that something needs to change. Therapy provides space to explore what that change might look like and how to move toward it.
Addressing Perfectionism Or Overwork
If you drive yourself relentlessly, therapy helps you understand why and how to build a healthier relationship with work and rest.
Processing Burnout
If you are burned out, therapy helps you recover while also addressing what led to burnout in the first place.
We offer virtual therapy for adults across Colorado, so you can access support from home without adding another stressor to your week.
When It Might Be Time To Leave Your Job
Not all Sunday anxiety requires quitting your job. But sometimes, the job itself is the problem. Consider whether the job is sustainable if:
- You have tried setting boundaries and nothing changes.
- The culture is toxic or abusive.
- Your values are fundamentally misaligned with the work.
- The stress is affecting your physical or mental health.
- You have been miserable for months or years, not just a few bad weeks.
Therapy can help you navigate the decision and plan for what comes next.
What A Healthier Relationship With Work Looks Like
Healing Sunday anxiety does not mean you will love Mondays. It means:
- You can enjoy your weekends without dread.
- You feel like you have some control over your life.
- Work is one part of your life, not your entire identity.
- You have time and energy for things that matter to you.
- You are not constantly in fight or flight mode.
How Better Lives, Building Tribes Supports Work Stress
At Better Lives, Building Tribes, we understand that work stress affects your entire life. We help you address both the immediate anxiety and the bigger picture.
Our approach is:
- Practical: We help you make real world changes, not just cope with impossible situations.
- Compassionate: We do not judge you for struggling or tell you to just be grateful you have a job.
- Holistic: We look at your whole life, not just your work.
- Empowering: We help you reclaim agency and make choices that align with your values.
Next Steps: Addressing Sunday Anxiety In Colorado
If Sunday anxiety is affecting your quality of life, you do not have to keep suffering. Therapy can help you understand what is driving it and make meaningful changes.
To start therapy for work stress and Sunday anxiety with Better Lives, Building Tribes:
- Visit betterlivesbuildingtribes.com/ to learn more about our services.
- Schedule a session with Dr. Meaghan Rice or another therapist on our team through the booking link on our site.
- Reach out via our contact form to ask questions or find out if we are a good fit for what you are experiencing.
Life should not feel like something you are just enduring until the weekend. With support, you can build a life that feels sustainable. We would be honored to help.
