Weekends can be devoted to relaxation and entertainment. Those who work all week have a chance to recuperate, spend time with loved ones and do what they like. However, instead, some of us feel an acute longing on Sunday and plunge into gloomy thoughts. Why?
Sunday low mood can range from dissatisfaction and mild despondency to inexplicable anxiety or apathy. In the UK, where this phenomenon was studied, it was called Sunday blues (Sunday blues).
Who is prone to Sunday Syndrome?
First of all, those who have Saturday and Sunday completely free suffer, for whom there is a clear boundary between busy, hectic weekdays and absolutely relaxed weekends. The average time for the peak of the Sunday blues has even been established: around 16:30 pm, when there is a more or less complete picture of the worries and affairs of the coming week.
And some are in this state from the very morning and cannot get rid of it until late in the evening. It is also known that most people who suffer from the onset of Sunday evening are those who spend the weekend at home, bored and thinking about the things planned for the week.
There is another type of Sunday blues, less noticeable and insidious, described in the book by psychologist Gianna Skelotto “Our Daily Anxiety”. According to the author, such a state may be partly due to a drop in tension, which entails fatigue, boredom and sadness. However, the decrease in mental and physical stress is not the only reason for the gloominess on the weekend. Most likely, Sunday becomes the day of meeting with yourself.
look inside and see the void
Working days, thanks to a fairly clear structure and a large number of cases, keep our internal tension under control and restrain the feeling of dissatisfaction. Completely free days, on the contrary, shed light on a deep sense of emptiness and displeasure, which the rest of the time seems to be hidden by routine.
Free Sunday hours allow us to look into the farthest corners of our souls, to see unfulfilled expectations and unfulfilled desires, to discover the difference between real personal relationships and those that we dreamed about.
Sunday suffering is equally characteristic of single people and those who have a family. In the former, they are caused by a feeling of emptiness and loneliness. For others, lack of emotional closeness with a partner or dissatisfaction with the family role.
How to stop suffering?
If every Sunday, without exception, is filled with sadness, worries, tension, it is important to understand what is happening inside of us.
The first step is to understand the causes of blues. It is necessary to figure out what exactly we lack and what desires remain unsatisfied. If the discomfort is associated with the start of a new working week, perhaps we have reason to be dissatisfied with the professional sphere, work responsibilities, or constant stress.
In this case, it makes sense to consider whether we are satisfied with the work, and to re-prioritize professional and private responsibilities, trying to free up a little more time for our own interests. If, on the contrary, the blues are caused by dissatisfaction with yourself or personal relationships, you need to “let off steam”, give vent to negative emotions and try to determine their nature.
The second step is to find ways to fill the void. Spend more time on your hobbies, improve your skills in an interesting business, transfer to Sunday those entertainments that you usually arrange on Saturdays … These are just a small part of the ways to get rid of Sunday gloom. If the reason lies in the relationship with a partner or family, it is worth assessing the current situation and reviewing some of your habits. Perhaps this will be the starting point for changes in personal life and bring you closer to a sense of satisfaction.