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Work and burnout

Sunday blues: why Sunday evenings feel heavy and how to cope

The Sunday blues, or Sunday scaries, are the worry, dread or low mood many people feel on Sunday, usually in the evening, as the working or school week gets closer. It is an everyday name, not a medical diagnosis: the closest idea in psychology is anticipatory anxiety, the unease that comes with uncertainty about what lies ahead[1]. A specific plan for unfinished tasks, a Sunday you enjoy and steady sleep can all help.

By the Bliss Therapy editorial teamReviewed by the Bliss Therapy clinical team11 min read
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Key takeaways

  • “Sunday blues” and “Sunday scaries” are everyday names, not a diagnosis, for the worry or low mood some people feel as the week gets closer.
  • No one has studied the Sunday blues directly. Research on what sits behind them points to anticipation of the working week and unfinished tasks.
  • In a US survey of about 340,000 people, mood on Sundays was no different from Saturdays, which suggests it is the thought of Monday, mostly in the evening, rather than Sunday itself.
  • Things worth trying: a specific plan for unfinished tasks, time with people, some exercise, no work email, and a steady wake-up time.
  • If the dread spreads across the week, you have felt low for 2 weeks or more, or self-help is not working, talk to someone. On Bliss Therapy you can see a therapist who speaks your language, with no waitlist.

What are the Sunday blues?

Feeling some anxiety before a demanding week is common. As the NHS puts it, “Most people feel anxious sometimes. It does not always mean you have GAD”[2], and NIMH notes that anxiety disorders “involve more than occasional worry or fear”[3]. So Sunday dread on its own is usually not a sign of anything serious.

How many people get it has not been well measured. The figure quoted most often comes from a company poll: in 2018, The Harris Poll surveyed 1,017 US employees for LinkedIn, and roughly 80% said they had experienced the Sunday scaries[4]. That was a commercial survey, not a research study.

What do the Sunday blues feel like?

There is no official list of Sunday blues symptoms. The closest is the NHS list of signs of stress, which includes[5]:

  • constantly worrying
  • feeling overwhelmed
  • difficulty concentrating
  • sleeping too much or too little
  • drinking or smoking more

How to beat the Sunday blues: 8 things to try

There is no tested cure for the Sunday blues. These steps target the problems behind them, and each one says how strong the evidence is.

1. Write down what is unfinished, and when you will do it

Pick the tasks that are nagging at you and write, for each one, where, when and how you will deal with it. In a study of 103 employees, people found it harder to switch off from unfinished work goals than finished ones, and making plans like this helped those who usually struggle to switch off[6]. In lab experiments, a specific plan for an unfinished goal stopped it intruding on people’s thoughts[7]. If you can, do it on Friday: in a study that followed 59 employees for 12 weeks, more unfinished tasks at the end of the week went with more dwelling on work and worse sleep at the weekend[8]. A plan helps you let go. It does not promise a better Monday: in one diary study, planning in the evening was not linked to feeling more energetic the next morning[9].

Evidence: several small studies, mostly of employees and students.

2. Make tomorrow’s to-do list before bed

Worrying in bed about tasks still to come makes it harder to fall asleep. In a sleep-lab study, 57 young adults spent 5 minutes writing either a to-do list or a list of things they had already done. The to-do group fell asleep faster, and the more specific the list, the faster they fell asleep[10]. The NHS gives the same advice: if you often worry in bed, make a list of what you need to do the next day[11].

Evidence: one small study, over one night, in healthy young adults, plus NHS advice.

3. Give your worries a set time, then stop

NHS self-help suggests a “worry time”: “a short period, say 10 or 15 minutes, every day or so”. Sort the worries you can do something about from the what-ifs you cannot control, and for the first kind, write down a plan of action[12]. In a small study of 53 people who worry a lot, a daily 30-minute worry period reduced worry, anxiety and sleep problems[13], but an online version did no better than simply keeping a record of worries, and people found postponing worry hard[14].

Evidence: official NHS self-help; trials are mixed, so treat it as worth trying.

4. Check the “this week will be awful” thought

If your dread comes with a prediction, such as “this week will be too much”, NHS self-help suggests you “take a moment to check it”. Ask: “How likely is the outcome you’re worried about?” “Is there good evidence for it?” “What would you say to a friend if they were thinking this way?”[15] For more on this, see how to stop overthinking.

Evidence: official NHS self-help.

5. Get moving on Sunday

A walk, a swim, a game with friends. An overview of 97 reviews found physical activity had medium effects on anxiety and distress, though most of those reviews were of very low quality[16]. The NHS says exercise “will not make your stress disappear, but it can reduce some of the emotional intensity”[17], and that it is best to find activities you enjoy rather than spend hours in a gym[18].

Evidence: a large overview of trials, though many of the underlying reviews were weak.

6. Spend time with people you like

In a very large US daily poll, people were happier and worried less at weekends, and part of that lift went with extra time with friends and family: 7.1 hours a day at weekends against 5.4 on weekdays[19]. In a small study of 87 emergency service workers, little social activity at the weekend predicted burnout and poorer wellbeing after it[20]. The NHS puts “Connect with other people” first in its five steps to mental wellbeing[18].

Evidence: large surveys and one small study; they show a link, not a cause.

7. Do something absorbing, and leave work email alone

Researchers who study recovery from work describe four things that help in time off: switching off from work, relaxing, doing something absorbing or challenging that is not work, and having control over your free time[21]. Across 86 publications, people who switched off more reported less exhaustion, better sleep and more wellbeing, and doing work-related things in time off went with switching off less[22]. The authors of one diary study suggest keeping work worry out of your free time “by engaging in absorbing leisure activities”[9]. So choose your own Sunday plans, and do not open work email.

Evidence: a large meta-analysis, but of surveys, so it shows a link, not a cause.

8. Keep Sunday’s wake-up time close to Monday’s

Many people, especially night owls, sleep later on days off to make up for sleep lost in the week. Researchers call the mismatch between your body clock and your work schedule “social jetlag”[23]. The NHS says “going to bed and getting up at similar times each day helps your body know when it’s time to sleep”, even on days when you are not working. It also suggests no phones, tablets or computers for an hour before bed, no alcohol or nicotine for 1 to 2 hours before bed, and getting up if you are still awake after about 20 minutes[11]. Do not rely on alcohol to cope with the dread[17]: drinking too much is linked with anxiety and depression in the longer term[24].

Evidence: official NHS sleep and alcohol advice.

Two more ideas are common practical advice rather than tested: plan something small to look forward to in the week, and move chores to Saturday so that Sunday evening stays free.

Why do we get the Sunday blues?

No one has studied the Sunday blues directly. What researchers have studied is what seems to sit behind them: anticipation of the working week, unfinished tasks, switching off from work, and sleep timing.

Your body starts the week early

Worry and rumination are “a common response to stress”, and can keep stress-related activation going “both in advance of and following stressors”, though the authors call their evidence on health effects preliminary[25]. Studies that measured the stress hormone cortisol just after waking found a bigger rise on workdays than at weekends. In 196 British civil servants, people also felt more stressed, less in control and less happy on the workday, and the researchers linked the bigger rise to “anticipation of the working day”[26]. In a study of 219 people, the gap was larger in those who reported more work overload and worry[27]. And in a diary study of 112 employees, worrying about work in the evening went with feeling more exhausted the next morning[9]. These studies looked at mornings and evenings in general, not Sunday night, and they describe a normal stress response.

Unfinished tasks keep running

Work you left undone tends to stay on your mind. In the 12-week study of employees, unfinished tasks at the end of the week were linked to worse weekend sleep through dwelling on work[8]. A 2026 analysis that pooled many studies confirmed that unfinished work tasks go with more thoughts about work in time off, most strongly negative, brooding ones[28]. Heavy workloads make this harder: higher job demands go with switching off less[22].

Losing freedom and company

In a small study of 74 working adults, better mood and energy at weekends was partly or fully explained by feeling free to choose what you do and feeling close to others[29]. This may be part of why the end of the weekend can feel like a loss, though no study has tested that directly.

Your sleep shifts

Social jetlag means that on Sunday night your body clock may still be on weekend time[23]. In young people, a gap of 2 hours or more has been linked with higher odds of depressive symptoms, but the link is weak and the studies cannot show cause[30]. No study has linked social jetlag to the Sunday blues.

Is Sunday really a sad day?

Not really. In a US telephone survey of about 340,000 people, mood was better at weekends and on Fridays, and “no differences were observed between Saturdays and Sundays”. The weekend effect was smaller for older and retired people[31]. A second very large US poll found more happiness and less worry, sadness and anger at weekends, and the weekend lift was twice as large for people in full-time paid work[19].

These surveys asked about the day as a whole, so they cannot show whether mood dips late on Sunday. But they suggest the problem is not Sunday itself. It is the thought of the week ahead, which is why the Sunday blues tend to gather in the evening, as Monday gets closer, rather than spoiling the whole day.

What are the Monday blues and the weekend blues?

“Monday blues” is the everyday name for feeling low at the start of the working week. It is real but small. A meta-analysis of 34 samples found a “small but reliable” Monday dip when people rated their mood at the time, and a bigger one when they rated it from memory[32]. In other words, Monday tends to look worse in hindsight than it feels in the moment. The large US survey above also found “minimal support for a Blue Monday effect”[31].

“Weekend blues” is a looser phrase for feeling low during the weekend itself. It is not a medical term either, and we found no research on it. If it happens most weekends, the signs in the next section apply.

When the Sunday blues are a sign of something bigger

Sunday blues that fade once the week gets going are common. It is worth taking a closer look if the dread spreads across the week, or if one of these sounds familiar:

  • It is about the job itself. Work overload and worry go with a bigger stress response on workdays[27], and the gap between weekday and weekend mood is much smaller for people who see their supervisor as “a partner rather than a boss” and who describe their workplace as open and trusting[19]. If the dread comes every week and it is about the work, it may be worth looking at what is driving it, on your own or with a professional.
  • Burnout. The WHO describes burnout as the result of “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”: exhaustion, feeling distant or cynical about your job, and feeling less effective at work. It is “not classified as a medical condition”[33]. Our post on teacher burnout explains more.
  • Anxiety. The main symptom of generalised anxiety disorder is “feelings of stress or worry that affect your daily life and are difficult to control”[2]. US criteria require difficulty controlling worry on most days for at least 6 months, with at least three symptoms such as restlessness, tiredness, poor concentration or sleep problems[34]. See our page on online anxiety therapy, our post on stress vs anxiety, or try the free anxiety self-test.
  • Depression. “A low mood often gets better after a few days or weeks”, but a low mood that lasts 2 weeks or more could be a sign of depression[35]. Losing interest or pleasure in most activities, most of the day, nearly every day, is another key sign[36]. See our page on therapy for depression or take the depression self-test.

For work stress, programmes based on CBT have done better in trials than other kinds of stress management[37]. On Bliss Therapy you choose a therapist who speaks your language, by video, with no waitlist. 40 psychologists and counsellors list work-related problems, with sessions from €30 (about £25); 32 of them list CBT.

Therapists for work stress and burnout

40 therapists on Bliss Therapy list this. Sessions are 50 minutes by video, and you pay per session.

See all 40 therapists

Our therapists are based outside the UK and the US, so they are unlikely to be on UK registers or covered by US health insurance. Ask any therapist about their training and their registration in the country where they practise.

What employers can do

Sunday dread that comes from an unmanageable workload or long hours is a work problem as well as a personal one. The WHO lists “excessive workloads or work pace, understaffing” and “long, unsocial or inflexible hours” among the risks to mental health at work. It recommends that employers change working conditions directly, for example by “providing flexible working arrangements”, and train managers in mental health[38].

  • Build trust. In survey data, the weekday–weekend mood gap was much smaller where staff saw their supervisor as a partner and their workplace as open and trusting[19].
  • Keep weekends free of work. Doing work-related things in time off goes with switching off less[22], so do not expect replies to Sunday emails.
  • Offer training. Programmes that teach people to switch off from work had a small-to-moderate effect on average, and longer programmes worked better[39].

Bliss Therapy also offers employee mental health support to organisations: see Bliss Therapy for organisations.

When to get help

Talk to a doctor or a therapist if you are struggling to cope with stress, or the things you are trying yourself are not helping[5]. In the UK, start with a GP. See a GP about sleep, too, if changing your habits has not helped or problems have lasted months[40]. In the US, start with your doctor or your health insurer, or search FindTreatment.gov, SAMHSA’s confidential and anonymous service for finding mental health treatment[41]. You do not need to wait until it gets worse.

Questions people ask

Are the Sunday scaries normal?

Yes, they are common. Most people feel anxious sometimes, and it does not always mean you have an anxiety disorder[2]. If the dread spreads across the week or is hard to control, talk to someone.

How can I reduce the Sunday blues?

Write a specific plan for unfinished tasks[6], make tomorrow’s to-do list before bed[10], see people and get moving[18], leave work email alone[22], and keep your wake-up time steady[11].

What does “Monday blues” mean?

It is the everyday name for feeling low at the start of the working week. Research finds a small but reliable dip in mood on Mondays, which looks bigger when people remember it than when they rate it at the time[32].

Can alcohol make Sunday anxiety worse?

It can make things harder. The NHS advises against relying on alcohol to cope[17], says it can disrupt sleep[11], and lists anxiety and depression among the longer-term risks of drinking too much[24].

Is Sunday anxiety a sign I should quit my job?

Not necessarily. But if the dread comes every week and it is about the work itself, such as too much work or long, inflexible hours[38], it is worth looking at what is driving it, on your own or with a professional. On Bliss Therapy there is no waitlist, and sessions start from €30 (about £25).

Keep reading

Sources and how we checked (41)

On 30 October 2026 we read the NHS, NIMH and WHO pages and the research summaries (abstracts) listed below. No study has looked at the Sunday blues as such, so the research here is about what seems to sit behind them: anticipation of the working week, unfinished tasks, switching off from work, weekday and weekend mood, and sleep timing. Where the evidence is small, mixed or only shows a link, we say so. The 80% figure comes from a company poll, as reported by Fortune. Bliss Therapy figures are read from our directory when this page loads, for psychologists and counsellors who list work-related problems.

  1. Grupe DW, Nitschke JB. Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: an integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2013 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  2. NHS, “Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)” (page last reviewed 22 October 2024)
  3. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Anxiety Disorders” (page last reviewed December 2024)
  4. Fortune, report of a 2018 Harris Poll survey for LinkedIn of 1,017 US employees (a company poll, not a research study) (17 September 2018; LinkedIn’s own post could not be opened)
  5. NHS, “Stress” (page last reviewed 6 March 2026)
  6. Smit BW. Successfully leaving work at work: the self-regulatory underpinnings of psychological detachment. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 2015 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  7. Masicampo EJ, Baumeister RF. Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  8. Syrek CJ, et al. Zeigarnik’s sleepless nights: how unfinished tasks at the end of the week impair employee sleep on the weekend through rumination. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2017 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  9. Casper A, Sonnentag S. Feeling exhausted or vigorous in anticipation of high workload? The role of worry and planning during the evening. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 2019 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  10. Scullin MK, et al. The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep: a polysomnographic study comparing to-do lists and completed activity lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 2018 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  11. NHS Every Mind Matters, “How to fall asleep faster and sleep better” (opened 30 October 2026)
  12. NHS Every Mind Matters, “Tackling your worries” (opened 30 October 2026)
  13. McGowan SK, Behar E. A preliminary investigation of stimulus control training for worry: effects on anxiety and insomnia. Behavior Modification, 2013 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  14. Versluis A, Verkuil B, Brosschot JF. Reducing worry and subjective health complaints: a randomized trial of an internet-delivered worry postponement intervention. British Journal of Health Psychology, 2016 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  15. NHS Every Mind Matters, “Reframing unhelpful thoughts” (opened 30 October 2026)
  16. Singh B, et al. Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2023 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  17. NHS, “Tips to reduce stress” (page last reviewed 26 June 2026)
  18. NHS, “5 steps to mental wellbeing” (page last reviewed 14 October 2026)
  19. Helliwell JF, Wang S. Weekends and subjective well-being. Social Indicators Research, 2014 (NBER Working Paper 17180) (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  20. Fritz C, Sonnentag S. Recovery, health, and job performance: effects of weekend experiences. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2005 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  21. Sonnentag S, Fritz C. The Recovery Experience Questionnaire: development and validation of a measure for assessing recuperation and unwinding from work. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2007 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  22. Wendsche J, Lohmann-Haislah A. A meta-analysis on antecedents and outcomes of detachment from work. Frontiers in Psychology, 2017 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  23. Wittmann M, et al. Social jetlag: misalignment of biological and social time. Chronobiology International, 2006 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  24. NHS, “Alcohol misuse – risks” (page last reviewed 24 April 2026)
  25. Brosschot JF, Gerin W, Thayer JF. The perseverative cognition hypothesis: a review of worry, prolonged stress-related physiological activation, and health. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 2006 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  26. Kunz-Ebrecht SR, et al. Differences in cortisol awakening response on work days and weekends in women and men from the Whitehall II cohort. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2004 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  27. Schlotz W, et al. Perceived work overload and chronic worrying predict weekend-weekday differences in the cortisol awakening response. Psychosomatic Medicine, 2004 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  28. Wendsche J, Weigelt O, Syrek CJ. Unfinished work tasks and work-related thoughts during off-job time: meta-analysis of the Zeigarnik effect in a work-recovery context. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 2026 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  29. Ryan RM, Bernstein JH, Brown KW. Weekends, work, and well-being: psychological need satisfactions and day of the week effects on mood, vitality, and physical symptoms. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 2010 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  30. Sun S, et al. Social jetlag and depressive symptoms among young people: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 2025 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  31. Stone AA, Schneider S, Harter JK. Day-of-week mood patterns in the United States: on the existence of ‘Blue Monday’, ‘Thank God it’s Friday’ and weekend effects. Journal of Positive Psychology, 2012 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  32. Areni CS, Burger M, Zlatevska N. Factors affecting the extent of Monday blues: evidence from a meta-analysis. Psychological Reports, 2011 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  33. World Health Organization, “Burn-out an ‘occupational phenomenon’” (28 May 2019)
  34. NIMH, “Generalized Anxiety Disorder: When Worry Gets Out of Control” (revised 2025)
  35. NHS, “Low mood, sadness and depression” (page last reviewed 29 July 2026)
  36. NIMH, “Depression” (revised 2024)
  37. Richardson KM, Rothstein HR. Effects of occupational stress management intervention programs: a meta-analysis. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2008 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  38. World Health Organization, “Mental health at work” fact sheet (15 September 2026)
  39. Karabinski T, et al. Interventions for improving psychological detachment from work: a meta-analysis. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2021 (abstract read 30 October 2026)
  40. NHS, “Insomnia” (page last reviewed 19 March 2024)
  41. FindTreatment.gov (SAMHSA) (opened 30 October 2026)