Don't be afraid of Sunday night

 

It's Sunday night. The end of an amazing weekend. Two days out of your work duties, maybe out of all your problems. You had fun, maybe partying, maybe hiking, skiing, or simply relaxing in your couch. But it's Sunday night. And you already feel the stress of the upcoming week building up in your stomach, in your chest. But why? 

The problem is not really the Sunday night, right? The problem is the Monday morning. The start of the week. The return to what we would call the "real life". Like the life you lead during the weekend is not real (it was probably more real than the rest of your week, but we will come back to that). Let's dig a bit this fear, but most importantly, let's see why you should turn this fear into motivation and strength. 

Have you ever notice that time seems to be faster now that you are an adult than when you were a kid, or maybe in high school? There are many reasons why. But one that I have heard not a long time ago really convinced me. When you were at school, your "visible" future, the period of time on which you were building expectations, was basically a year. From September, until next summer, the next long break. As an adult, most probably you stopped living on a year scale, and exchange it for a week scale. And it totally makes sense: you think about the meetings you have or the deadlines you must meet (and let's face it, they are rarely a year ahead, or if they are, we focus on closer ones). Therefore, the end point of your visible future is reached much faster. And this has two consequences: it feels like time is flying much faster, and you build up anxiety when Sunday night is coming. Just like you were feeling anxious on this last day of August, before starting school, back your high school days. But let's turn the problem around. 

The main point would be: instead of seing the Sunday night as the end of a great weekend, and Monday morning as the return of the problems, let's imagine that Monday would be a fresh start. A "unique" (clearly it is not unique since there is a Monday per week) chance to start from scratch, to do better than the previous week. 

"Oh thanks dude, this is really relieving, not pressuring at all!" 

Wait, wait. The way I see things - or at least, I try - is the following: how many times in your life do you have the chance to start something from scratch, clean slate? Almost never. But also, almost every week, on Mondays. Monday is the start of something new, a new week where you can decide to do better, to be better, to feel better. 

"Yeah, thanks, but wasn't this post about Sundays?"

Well, now that we turned the scary Mondays into something you actually expect: how scary can a Sunday night be? At most, you should feel excited, looking forward to starting the next week. This is how I deal with Sunday nights. I normally have an evening routine (we will talk about that soon), but my Sunday one has an additional step. I take a moment (it can be 5 minutes, 10, 30, depending on the upcoming week) and visualise my week. Every single day. I open my calendar, and check what is already planned, and write down what I have to do, day by day. Of course, this "to-do" list will be adjusted later on, but the point is simply to get an idea of what will happen. 

"Oh my God, do you realise how stressful this is? Isn't it the definition of anxiety?"

Yes. But here is the trick. You are just visualising the week, you are not there, not yet. Right now, it is Sunday night, you are in your couch, comfortably seating, enjoying whatever beverage makes you happy. Be right here, right now. Be in the present moment. I do not visualise my week to leave the present moment. I do it so that when the moment finally comes, I am already prepared. 

Take a deep breath. And another. And another. You are safe. 

There is no reason to be scared of Sunday night. You are here and now, safe. Tomorrow is a chance to start fresh. To grow. To feel better. Will you seize it?