As Sunday evening comes around, you may recognise an unshakeable creeping feeling settling in. While you can’t quite put your finger on it, it has the potential to ruin an otherwise perfect weekend. Luckily we’ve got some top tips to help you keep the 'scaries' at bay.
Get ahead
By planning your Monday on Friday, you can sail through the weekend knowing you’ve prepped ahead and can fully detach your brain from the trials of zoom calls and slack notifications. As simple as writing your to-do list of leftover tasks from the week or emails that were received 10 minutes before you clock off, decide what is a Friday problem and what is a Monday problem before you finish work. Then, once this is done you can close your laptop or notepad, and leave it on your desk in the office ready for when you return.
Avoid a hangover
Had a tough week? While enjoying some drinks can feel great at the time, having a few too many can often cause increased anxiety the next day as your physical biology rebalances and recovers from the toxins in alcohol. In addition, the guilt you feel for wasting a day of your weekend on a hangover can often contribute to the dread you feel about going back to work. Try alternating between alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, like our Livener, or even try skipping the booze altogether and see how this helps your mood the next day.
Distract Yourself
Don’t leave your mind wandering; while mindfulness and meditation are great, sometimes removing stimuli for extended periods can trigger angst, so make sure you have some simple fun Sunday activities to engage in. Try going for a walk and admiring nature, simple exercise like this can boost serotonin and endorphins allowing you to sleep better when you do go to bed. Weather not looking so good? Why not pick a board game or a card game to engage your brain.
Rest up
A good night’s sleep is key to feeling fresh going into a new week so don’t let the Sunday Scaries ruin your Monday too. If you find you’re struggling to get to sleep, try a few biohacks: dim the lights a few hours before bed and avoid screens to reduce blue light exposure and encourage melatonin (the sleep hormone) release. Wind down with some plant based remedies like valerian, lemon balm, or hops to help calm your brain. Try them in a Nightcap on the rocks or a Nightcap Old-Fashioned. Finally, make sure your room has enough airflow to help you regulate your body temperature and give your brain the oxygen it needs to function best.
