5 EA S Y WAYS
TO AVOID THE SUNDAY NIGHT BLUES
We all know the feeling. It creeps up around 4pm on a Sunday, maybe even earlier during the winter months. It’s not exactly full-scale dread, more a general case of the blues, knowing the weekend is about to come to an end and the work and school week is going to commence. There’s lunches to make, laundry to organise, to-do lists to consider, and that’s before you even think about the onslaught of emails, customers and the workload Monday will bring. If you suffer from Sunday night blues you are not alone. Studies show more than two-thirds of us suffer from it. Here’s how to keep them at bay.
DO THE FUN STUFF ON SUNDAY
Instead of doing all the good things on Friday night and Saturday, consider scheduling in meet-ups, good food and laughter on Sundays. Don’t use Sunday as day to do all the jobs in preparation for the week ahead, it will only reinforce the Sunday night blues. Try to run errands, and do laundry on Saturday. Similarly try to get the kids to do their homework on Saturday so it frees up Sunday as a family fun day.
SWEAT IT OUT
We all know that exercise makes you feel better. According to a new study published in The Journal of Happiness Studies, researchers at the University of Michigan found that people who work out for as little as 10 minutes a day tend to be more cheerful than those who never exercise. And any type of exercise may be helpful. Consider yoga to help clear the mind in anticipation for the week ahead.
GET IT DONE ON FRIDAY
Feel yourself slacking off come Friday afternoon? It’s easy to do. You’ve had a long week and you’re keen to get home. But before you head off, take a few minutes to update your ‘to-do’ list. It will clear your mind to truly enjoy the weekend ahead. When you write down a plan you have it there ready to go for Monday and don’t need to think about it come Sunday evening, as it’s already planned out.
PLAN AHEAD
Here’s a sure-fire way to banish the Sunday blues – have something to look forward to. It could be planning a family weekend camping trip, or maybe a holiday away with girlfriends. When you have a plan for an upcoming occasion it gives your mind something positive on the horizon to focus on.
JOIN THE CLUB
Consider signing up for a regular Sunday ritual, it could be a sporting team, a book club, volunteering or any sort of organised get-together. Why a club? According to Gretchen Rubin, the author of Better Than Before, ‘being accountable makes it much more likely that you won’t back out at the last minute.’ Not only will it take your mind off the week ahead, it will give you a sense of belonging, and a higher level of wellbeing.