How to kick your Sunday Night Blues

Do you have a case of the Sunday Night Blues?  This acute condition is what many 9-5 workers deal with on a weekly basis.  It’s that dreaded feeling of the work week approaching that leaves you wondering how you are going to navigate through the week and if the stress is really worth it.  I can relate and have been there in the past.  There were times that I would start thinking about the upcoming work week as early as Saturday making me irritable and no fun to be around.  Eventually I knew something needed to change so I could focus on being a better husband, father, and friend.  As a result I came up with a system that worked for me that I want to share with you.

Here are 3 tips to kick your case of the Sunday Night Blues:

1.)    Monitor your case of the Blues:  

Keep a mental log of when you start feeling anxious about the new work week and note the severity.   Do you start feeling anxious in the morning, afternoon or night?  Are these feelings getting more severe or are they improving?  Being self aware by monitoring your stress and anxiety levels can help you decide if you should consider making a change.

2.)    Block off time each Sunday to plan your week.  

      This one is critical.  Block off 30 minutes each Sunday to map out your week.  Open your work calendar and make note of the significant events you will be facing both work and non-work related.  Use a note pad or cell phone app such as Microsoft One Note to take notes and create a checklist of critical items you’ll need to complete throughout the week.  There is no better way to suppress upcoming work anxiety than to be prepared for your challenges.

3.)    Avoid working on Sunday and live it up for all the day is worth.  

      Sunday is a weekend day after all so treat it like one!  Don’t let Monday creep in early.  Plan a fun event with your family and friends.  Go somewhere, do something.  Before having kids, my Wife and I had a Sunday tradition of a late-afternoon campfire followed by watching Mad Men.  During this time we rarely thought or talked about work.  Nobody was going to steal that time from us and we looked forward to it every week. 

Does your case of the Sunday Night Blues mean you need a job change?  Maybe not.  It might just be a matter of managing your case of the Blues.  I’d love to hear your input.  What other tips and tricks have you tried to help you kick the Sunday Night Blues?

Aaron Rehberg is a career coach and owner of Rehberg Careers Inc.  Follow Aaron on twitter @rehbergcareers and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rehbergcareers.