Picture the following scene:
It's Sunday evening, the weekend is winding down and you're beginning to think about the work week ahead. What are your feelings?
Do you find yourself excited and challenged, looking forward to another week of doing something you love? The most fortunate among us get to feel that way on a regular basis.
Or are you instead feeling something else, perhaps anxiety or even dread? That's a special kind of anxiety and stress I call "Sunday Night Syndrome."
All of us experience some form of SNS from time to time. What's important is how often and how severe it is.
Mild Sunday Night Syndrome
In most people, the anxiety usually begins Sunday evening, but it passes quickly and is gone by the time you arrive at work. This feeling is probably the result of working continuously for five days a week and having only two days off during which to recover.
What to do:
Relax and remember: The feeling will pass.
Rent a movie, play a game, enjoy being with family and friends.
Moderate Sunday Night Syndrome
The next stage of SNS is characterized by increasing anxiety as the work week approaches. The anxiety begins earlier in the day and doesn't pass as easily as mild SNS.
You begin to stay up later and later on Sunday night, in the hope of keeping Monday morning from arriving. As a result, you feel tired and sluggish on Monday, which leaves you ill-equipped to deal with your feelings and your work.
Other symptoms include increased irritability and inattentiveness around family and friends, as well as deteriorating work performance. Colleagues and supervisors may begin to notice changes at this point.
What to do:
In addition to the above suggestions, make sure you get to bed early enough to be rested the next day.
Identify things about your job that you can feel good about, or even look forward to.
As crazy as it sounds, some people have found that going into the office or doing some work at home seems to help.
If going into the office is not possible, being as prepared as possible can help.
Severe Sunday Night Syndrome
The third level of SNS doesn't wait until Sunday to arrive. It begins Saturday or even Friday after work.
By the time Sunday evening rolls around, folks with severe SNS are experiencing strong anxiety and dread.
Some people become physically ill at the prospect of another work week. Depression is common at this point, as well as drinking too much alcohol.
What to do:
What underlies your emotions and reactions? If you don't examine this issue, the feelings might just grow stronger.
It could be time to consider a change, either in the details of your job or perhaps an entire change of job or career.
Consult a career counselor to look at your options.
Make sure you are doing something, from talking about it to physical exercise, in order to relieve the stress.
You might want to seek counseling to help you manage the stress, emotions and decisions involved.
Remember: If it's hurting you, it's not likely to be helping anyone else.
What's more, there are three books I've recommended before that you might find useful:
"Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work" by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
"Heart at Work" by Jack Canfield and Jacqueline Miller
"Care Packages for the Workplace" by Barbara Glanz
All of us experience some form of Sunday Night Syndrome from time to time. It's how we respond that makes the difference.
Visit secretsofgreatrelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.
same day cleaning service Des Plaines ..Looking for mindfulness? Who ya gonna call?Try dialing M.It's easy... Read More
Most people find it easy to identify the sources of... Read More
Are you a "worry wart?" Is that term familiar to... Read More
Don't wait to have a life-threatening disease to learn what... Read More
Feeling stressed out lately? Don't worry, there is a simple... Read More
It is no secret that stress and related disorders are... Read More
"We do not stop playing because we grow old. We... Read More
Among the hardest parts of living in the modern world... Read More
Think back a few years to the nine coal miners... Read More
Governements and businesses have regularly highlighted the costs of stress... Read More
Self-Care Strategies:Substantial breakfast daily Regular sleeping habits (minimum of 7... Read More
1. The Law of StagnationThis is also known as first... Read More
"The great lesson from the true mystics, from the Zen... Read More
One of the dumbest things I have ever done is... Read More
Take a moment to think about the week that just... Read More
Everyone needs successful stress management techniques. Easy to learn and... Read More
Success in recovery, or rather, staying in recovery, is dependent... Read More
We are currently living in a capitalist society where money... Read More
Are you feeling stressed out? Too many things to do,... Read More
My son was watching a Richard Scarry video this morning... Read More
The Problem You don't need me to tell you how... Read More
Q. I have just recently come to recognize that I... Read More
Health Impacts of StressStress is a funny concept, try to... Read More
Positive self-esteem is very important for our general health and... Read More
This anger management Practice draws on the dual wisdom of... Read More
home cleaning services Mundelein ..The World Health Organization calls stress "the health epidemic of... Read More
Mark Twain once said, "It's not what we don't know... Read More
Statistics show that all of us experience stress at one... Read More
Many of my readers write to me about the tensions... Read More
Meditation, relaxation and visualisation are the standard recommendations for reducing... Read More
We all know that stress levels in the workplace are... Read More
Did you know that more than half of our adult... Read More
Have you ever noticed how we keep falling into the... Read More
Stress, America's #1 health problem, is a leading cause of... Read More
Have you ever noticed what occurs when you are suddenly... Read More
?And holding it way down inside you like an old... Read More
I just got through reading some troubling news in the... Read More
A little stress is good for us until it becomes... Read More
A stressless lifestyle? That's very easy to say. Yet it... Read More
In order to understand stress better, it is a good... Read More
Stress and anxiety can prematurely age our mind and body.... Read More
It is an inescapable fact, we live in a stressful... Read More
My first real job (schedule, time clock, paycheck, boss) was... Read More
This heading may seem like a contradiction in terms. How... Read More
ExcusesWe all have them. It amazes me how creative I... Read More
10 Ways to Monitor Corporate Stress LevelsGood military leaders work... Read More
The Rule of BalanceThere is more to life than work.... Read More
Stress is the nastiest 4 letter word you ever met.... Read More
This summer, get away, without going away. Take a mini... Read More
Raise your hand if you have ever been rejected by... Read More
Stress Management |