Feelings of anxiety or apprehension can surface in various forms. They often manifest as a sense of worry or fear, accompanied by physical symptoms such as panic, headaches, or even trouble sleeping. This emotional turmoil is part of the mind’s way of keeping us alert, striving to anticipate and resolve potential issues before they arise.

The beginning of a new year often brings a sense of renewal—a blank slate offering a fresh start. Many people see it as an opportunity to aim for a better year than the one that has just passed. However, when these feelings of anxiety become a recurring pattern, it may indicate that there is an aspect of your life that needs addressing.

A common trigger for these feelings, often referred to as the “Sunday scaries,” is work-related stress. This term captures the dread many people experience on Sunday as they anticipate returning to the office on Monday. Understanding and addressing the root causes of such stress can be crucial in alleviating these unsettling feelings.

The imagery associated with this phenomenon is aptly captured by sources such as Getty, with photographers like Rudi Suardi documenting the expressions and moments that encapsulate this widespread experience.

What could your Sunday scaries be trying to tell you?

But if it’s happening regularly, it could be a sign that something in your life needs to change.

Work stress is a common cause of Sunday scaries. Source: Getty / rudi_suardi

“It can be an indicator that the demands you are facing at work are regularly excessive and unsustainable if every Sunday night you’re getting worked up about the week ahead,” Martin said.

It could also be a symptom of an underlying mental health condition, Martin said.

Tips to overcome your Sunday scaries

“Block out the time you need to get your important things done, write anything down that you’re worried about that you need to devote time to solving next week,” Martin said.

“Often the answer is ‘there’s no problem in this moment’, which can be a bit of a circuit breaker to that rumination,” Martin said.

Filling your weekends with fun activities can help to stave off anxious thoughts about work. Source: Getty / JulieanneBirch

Writing down all the thoughts that pop into your head before you go to bed on Sunday night can help stop your anxiety from derailing your sleep.

To tackle the physical sensations of anxiety, he suggested trying relaxation strategies such as slow controlled breathing or mindfulness meditation.

What workplaces can do to help

“I think that says a lot about the nature of modern work and its ability to wear people down over time,” Martin said.

Improving workplace culture can reduce the likelihood that someone will experience Sunday scaries. Source: Getty / MoMo Productions

Martin said one way managers can improve staff wellbeing is by having conversations with their direct reports about the nature of the work that they do, asking questions such as: “What do you like about it?”, “What’s hard about it?”, “What can we do to make it more manageable?”

“Even starting it at 9.30 or 10 just gives people a little buffer to transition into that week, which means that their mind doesn’t have to work so hard on Sunday night to be ready for 9am Monday,” he said.

Signs you may have an anxiety condition

“The second area is these physical symptoms, that when you’re having these thoughts, you feel worked up and panicky in your body, you’re breathing more quickly and shallowly, you can feel sweaty or lightheaded or clammy, or just generally feeling really irritable and tense all the time.”