Why do I feel anxious on Sunday night?

Feeling anxious on Sunday night is usually the “Sunday Scaries” — a common kind of anticipatory anxiety. Your brain starts bracing for Monday before it arrives.

Common reasons:

• Work/school stress: thinking about deadlines, meetings, emails, or social pressure
• Loss of freedom: the weekend is ending, and the structure of the week is returning
• Sleep shift: staying up later or sleeping in on weekends can throw off your body clock
• Unfinished tasks: if Friday ends with loose ends, your mind keeps working on them

What can help:

• Do a Friday brain dump: write Monday’s tasks down before you leave
• Plan something enjoyable for Sunday evening so it feels less like a countdown
• Keep weekend sleep times close to your weekday schedule
• Add a small Monday morning treat to make the start of the week easier