March 19, 2022
Editor: Carina Trama
Artist: Georgia Wallace
I am writing this article as I sit in the Blue Cafe of East Quad on a Sunday, blankly staring at my seemingly endless to-do list, while trying to fathom how the peaceful bubble that was this weekend has abruptly popped. Feelings of worry and stress creep to the front of my mind, as I struggle to plan out the tasks and meetings of the week ahead of me. I am sure you’ve experienced this feeling at least once or twice, but you may not have been aware of the term that describes it until now: the Sunday scaries.
Coined in the recent decades, and exponentially increasing in popularity, the Sunday scaries signifies the fear and anxiety that people suffer in regards to the week ahead of them. It can be a student who is about to face a week filled with countless quizzes and club meetings, or it can be a person in the professional world about to give a crucial presentation for their superiors. There doesn’t even have to be a specific, large task like one I’ve mentioned — you can experience this anxiety simply because a new week is simply arriving, and the pure relaxation you’ve been relishing in is about to disappear for another five days. You lament and grieve the weekend, and feel as though you’re entering into a state of limbo with no habitual routine.
Although the feelings that compose this term are extremely natural, this descriptor creates a negative connotation that revolves around Sundays in general. To many of us, this day signifies that our resting part of the weekend is over, leading us to experience genuine fear when it approaches. This feeling dominates over the reality that we still have an entire 24 hours left to relax.
By immediately associating Sunday with scary thoughts about the upcoming week, we strip it of its peaceful nature; if we continue to let the idea of a demanding week consume our final day, we continue to deprive ourselves of the hours in which we can feel pure bliss and tranquility and instead, create additional stress in our lives, experiencing this anxiety twice, instead of just once. Starting our week off with these feelings of worry enables these negative emotions to dictate our entire week. We must stop acting as if Sundays are a last attempt at shielding ourselves from diving into the next week, because then we will start and pursue our week with this negative mindset. By taking a different approach to this day, we can effectively propel the next five days with tranquility and positivity rather than let our minds be overcome with our daunting days and demanding tasks that require our attention.
I know this is much easier said than done, and that sometimes, on some Sundays, this anxiety will just be triumphant over the day’s intended peaceful nature. However, performing just one activity every Sunday can open your mind to the relaxation and joy that this day should entail, even if just a little bit. To defeat the Sunday scaries, here is a starting point with some obvious yet extremely helpful activities to do and places to go in Ann Arbor in order to clear your mind and alleviate the stress and anxiety pent-up inside you.
This one might be a given, but sleep. Getting enough hours of sleep allows our minds and bodies to be completely alert and alive for the day — you are never “wasting” your day by granting yourself enough rest.
Grab a coffee or a bite to eat with friends. Go somewhere that makes you feel happy and at peace. My personal favorites include M36, Stray Hen, and Angelo’s.
Walk or drive to Bebe’s, Ann Arbor Nail & Spa, or BeeQ Salon Spa and get that mani pedi you’ve been dying for.
This one depends more on the weather. On any beautiful, not freezing cold day? Play your favorite Podcast artist and walk through the Arb. Otherwise, take that track to the CCRB or IM and walk on the treadmill.