When I was younger, I used to love Sundays.
Sundays to me were waking up early, golden sunshine, mom making breakfast and dad listening to the radio. Sundays were one of my favorite days of the week. I liked them better than Saturdays, even.
But the older I got, the more homework I was assigned and responsibilities I took on, and the more I started to dislike Sundays, and all the responsibilities they previewed for the week. Soon, my dislike turned to disdain turned to despise.
My anxiety on Sundays got so bad in middle school that I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep. I would spend all Sunday night and the early hours of Monday morning worrying before making it through the day in an absolute fog and realizing, really, there wasn’t so much to be worried about.
This cycle would continue through most of the sixth and seventh grade until I realized something had to change.
By eighth grade, I decided that getting all of my homework done for Monday by Saturday was a necessity for me to be able to sleep on Sunday night. If possible, I would also do the homework for Tuesday so I could do work to get ahead by Sunday. I quickly figured out that being (over) prepared allowed me to get a much better night’s sleep.
However, while I had gotten to the point where I could sleep, I still had a sense of lingering doom every Sunday that would stick around and nag at the back of my mind all day.
By highschool, the anxiety I was feeling surrounding Sundays had a name: The Sunday Scaries.
Though my nerves were better by the time I got to High School, I decided to invest in a little thing called “self-care” every Sunday in order to ease my nerves even more.
So (in no particular order), here are the best tips I have acquired over the many, many years to help beat the Sunday scaries – from a seasoned professional.
First – like I said – getting as much homework done as possible on Friday and Saturday is a must for me. Even though a lot of times it can be tempting to just lounge around on Fridays, being overly prepared for the first few days of the next week so that I know I will be able to relax those days after school is incredibly helpful for my anxiety. Persuading myself to do homework on Fridays was no easy feat at first, however I’ve become accustomed to it, especially because it usually leaves the majority of my Saturdays and Sundays free. Getting work done early means there will be less to be anxious about on Monday, and in turn, Sunday too!
Second, don’t be afraid to hang out with friends on Sundays. Oftentimes I wouldn’t want to do anything with my friends on Sundays because of how bad my anxiety was about the impending week, but the more I’ve allowed myself to say yes, the more I find I am less nervous. Spending time with friends on Sundays is a great distraction, but also a great comfort, as your friends can usually empathize with you. Plus, with all that weekend time freed up from doing assignments on Friday, you’ll have nothing to worry about getting done!
Third, find something to look forward to on Monday. Whether it’s lunch with a friend, a nice outfit, or treating yourself to your favorite coffee in the morning, finding something that excites me about each and every Monday really helps the impending week seem not so scary.
Fourth, I like to still try to be productive on Sundays. Not necessarily doing homework, but making sure I don’t sleep in too late (except for in extreme circumstances) helps me transition from the weekend to the week much easier. Waking up early isn’t so daunting if you’ve already done it the day before.
Fifth, take it easy Sunday night. Watch a movie or a show, read your favorite book, take a shower and relax. Being comfortable (and tired!) will make Sunday nights a lot easier.
And finally, if all else fails and you find yourself in a situation similar to the ones I have been in before – remember that days of the week are a completely made-up human concept and that days are just days. Don’t give the names they were given ages ago the power to scare you.
In fact, in a few years from now, if you look back at something that happened to you (whether it’s good or bad) you most likely won’t remember the day of the week, but rather the memory.
Hi! My name is Liz Fusco and I am a senior here at URI double majoring in English and journalism. When 
I’m not writing blogs for CampusRec you can find me working as one of the News Editors at URI’ student newspaper The Good Five Cent Cigar or working as the Vice Chair of the English Undergraduate Student Advisory Board. I love writing, reading, teaching dance and spending time with my friends, family and my dog Talullah.