The Sunday dread: a practical guide

Somewhere around Sunday afternoon, a lot of people feel the weekend drain out of them like someone pulled a plug. Clients describe it the same way so often that I keep a name for it: the Sunday dread. If you have it, you're not broken and you're definitely not alone.

What it usually means

Sometimes it's the job itself — and that's worth taking seriously. But just as often it's the shape of the week: no real recovery in the weekend (errands aren't rest), an inbox you already peeked at, or a Monday that starts with the week's worst meeting. The dread is information. Read it before you fight it.

Four things to actually try

One: put something genuinely enjoyable on Sunday evening — the dread hates competition. Two: do a ten-minute 'Monday preview' on Friday afternoon instead, so Sunday-you inherits a plan, not a mystery. Three: no work email after Saturday morning; peeking is paying interest on a loan you haven't taken out yet. Four: if the dread starts Saturday morning or shows up as real dread — sleep problems, appetite changes, tears — that's beyond scheduling. That's a conversation worth having with someone.

Try the four for two weeks. If the needle doesn't move, the problem probably isn't your Sunday. That's useful to know too.