In theory, the hours between 5pm on Friday and 8am on Monday morning are the most joyful blissful hours of the week.  You walk away from the office and the stress of your work week melts away.

But come on, we all know how challenging it is to truly unplug for the weekend.   With smartphones and laptops, it is hard to truly disconnect unless you have very healthy boundaries with your technology.  Plus, you are trying to jam in as much as you can during the weekend to play catch up from the week before.

The reality is that Sundays are often dominated by feelings of dread, stress & anxiety.  Plus, you may already be feeling behind because you just could not get everything done that you intended to this weekend.

The phenomenon is real.  78% of respondents in a recent international Monster.com poll reported experiencing the “Sunday Night Blues.” And for the lucky Americans 59% said they get it “really bad”

The Sunday Night Blues are created by a combination of realizing weekend fun is coming to an end and anticipating the beginning of five days of pressure, meaning it can strike even those who like their jobs. “Work is now spread out into home life with increasing demands because of email and the ability to work remotely,” says Steven Meyers, professor of psychology at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Ill. “Work has become more of a drain for many people than it was a decade or two ago. There’s more to dread nowadays.”

But a case of the blues doesn’t have to ruin your Sunday. Here are 6 strategies for beating those dreaded Sunday Night Blues.

Have a Sunday Ritual.  Go to church, Take an evening walk with your spouse, neighbor or a friend.  Relax a restorative yoga class.  Enjoy family movie or game night.  Plan Sunday night dinner with friends.  Have something FUN to look forward to on Sunday nights.

Celebrate Your Accomplishments.  Take time to reflect, write and share your WINS for the weekend.  What do you feel most proud of accomplishing?  Getting enough sleep (ideally 8.5 hours or more each night), spending time with your family & friends, unplugging from technology, exercising or doing something just for FUN.

Plan your week ahead.  Take time to be very mindful & intentional about your week.  What are you most looking forward to?  Are you setting realistic expectations for yourself?  Say NO to something.  Don’t over commit.  Allow yourself time to breathe & relax?

Make Healthy Choices.  Exercise on Sunday is a must.  Burn off the anxiety and increase your endorphins.  Take time to plan out meals for the week.  Do you have enough fruits & veggies?  Do you have healthy options if you are on the go?  Yes, that glass of wine might sound like a good idea, but alcohol is a depressant and is going to leave you feeling even lower in the morning.  Is that how you want to start your Monday?

Promote Relaxation Before Bed.  Write in your Gratitude Journal, Read a good book, Enjoy a relaxing bubble bath, Listen to soothing music, Meditate.  Insight Timer has wonderful free guided meditations.  Take time to quiet your mind chatter.

Resist the urge to skip all of the above and power up your laptop to catch up on work emails.  NO, NO, NO!! You may think you are getting ahead but what you are really doing is promoting being workaholic & quickly approaching burn out.  Plus, you are feeding your mind the message “it’s never enough” This habit is an instant energy zapper.  By doing this you are starting Monday morning on empty.

Wouldn’t you feel better to start Monday rested, relaxed and with a FULL tank of ENERGY?

Is there an area you could use some additional support in?

• Creating Healthy Habits
• Identifying & Zapping Energy Drains
• Practicing Extreme Self Care
• Setting Healthy Boundaries
• Creating Value Based Goals
• Being more Mindful & Intentional about your week

If YES please email me at sarahucoach@gmail.com and schedule a complementary 30 minute coaching session today.