- A new survey reports that about two-thirds of people in the United States feel an anxiety known as the “Sunday scaries” as they face the upcoming workweek.
- The anxious feeling has reportedly become more acute during COVID-19 and is affecting younger people more than older adults.
- Experts say you can help ease the anxiety by getting enough sleep, eating a nutritious diet, and practicing mindfulness.
If you’re dreading the week ahead, you’re not alone.
More than half of working people in the United States report experiencing the “Sunday scaries,” a phenomenon in which people experience stress or anxiety on a Sunday before the coming workweek.
A LinkedIn survey of 3,000 Americans found that 66 percent of respondents said they felt anxious or stressed on Sunday. In addition, 41 percent said the COVID-19 pandemic has either caused the Sunday scaries or made them worse.
Dr. David Spiegel, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Stanford University in California, said the survey results aren’t surprising.
“To some extent, it’s understandable. The weekend tends to be easier going, less structured, less scheduled. You’re usually surrounded by people who love you, and you love them, and that’s a pleasant thing, and you’re not facing strangers or people you know at work who are a pain,” Spiegel told Healthline.
“So, some of it is normal. What’s happened to us is as the world has become a scarier place, even loved ones can be a source of danger or death. It’s natural you associate going out… with being anxious,” he added.
Source: healthline