By now, we’re all well-acquainted with the Sunday Scaries. It’s that feeling of dread and anxiety that creeps up as the weekend comes to a close and a new week looms on the horizon. The Sunday Scaries are so insidious that they can suck almost all of the fun out of the last day of your weekend!

Everybody’s Sunday Scaries are a little different. For some people, they hit right as you wake up and realize you this was your last morning without an alarm set for a few days. For others, that dread slowly grows throughout the evening as you figure out exactly how many emails you’re going to have to face the next day. And for some people with non-traditional schedules, Sunday Scaries aren’t even on Sunday! 

We might not be able to get rid of Sundays, but we can definitely ditch the Scaries. Here’s how to use some Eastern medicine wisdom to transform Sunday from sour to sweet and make the most of your 48 hours of freedom.

4 Ways To Skip Sunday Scaries

Get The Right Rest

Why are Sunday Scaries such a big deal? Well, for most people, it boils down to one thing: a weekend just isn’t long enough! Lots of people spend Monday through Friday running around like a chicken with their head cut off. You’re working 40 hours or more, cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, going to school, and more. That’s a lot! And often, 48 hours of rest on Saturday and Sunday just isn’t cutting it. When you don’t have enough time to recover from the past week, the week ahead seems even more exhausting. 

If feasible, hire someone to help with chores so that you can spend time on necessary things that others can’t do for you, like self-care.

So if by Sunday you’re still feeling drained from last week instead of refreshed and rejuvenated, it’s probably because you’re burnt out and need some more rest! Unfortunately, most people can’t just tack another day on to their weekends. But that doesn’t mean that hope is lost! 

All you have to do is figure out what kind of rest you really need. Sometimes your mind needs creative rest, but you’re only giving your body physical rest. Or maybe you think that holing yourself up in your home all weekend and binging Netflix is the rest you need, but in actuality a quality catch-up with your bestie over Facetime will help you feel even better. It’s all about balance and listening to what your mind and body need. 

Stay Balanced

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), balance and harmony are the keys to staying happy and healthy. So overloading yourself Monday through Friday only to vegetate for 48 hours straight on the weekend might not be the best plan. When you overwork on the regular, it’s no surprise that you cringe at the thought of a brand new work week.

In TCM, the body and emotions are understood as deeply connected–something we forget a lot in the west! When our emotions are under control and our body is well-rested and energized, that’s when we feel the best. And unbalanced emotions–like the exhaustion from a crazy work week and the anxiety that hits on Sundays–can actually take a toll on our body. 

According to TCM, the Spleen is most likely to suffer the consequences when we overwork ourselves. That’s because it’s connected to the earth element, which values balance and staying grounded. 

So Sunday Scaries are actually a sign that our Spleen needs some TLC. How can you do this? First, it’s important to make time throughout the week for different kinds of rest and self care, like yoga, meditation, or dry-brushing. Get outside and spend some time in nature. Take a break from your crazy week to slow down and recharge so you don’t feel like you barely caught your breath by Sunday night.

Sundays Are For Self-Care

If you’re over hating Sundays, try making them your dedicated day of self-care. You’re not going to feel rested and relaxed for the new week if you spend all day Sunday stressing out, doing errands, and trying to prep for Monday. But if you know that Sundays are when you do your favorite activities and treat yourself to some TLC, the last day of the weekend turns from something scary into something to be savored! Plus, lots of self-care rituals can help to combat the anxiety you get from obsessing over your Monday to-do list.

When it comes to Eastern medicine, there’s no shortage of ways to relax and take care of your body and mind. You can start off an at-home pedicure with a Chinese footbath by soaking in warm water and lavender until you start to break a bit of a sweat–a sign that your circulation is in full swing. Yoga or meditation are great ways to calm the body and mind while reaping benefits like improved attention span and lower stress levels. No matter what your chosen self-care method is, the key is finding something that you look forward to every Sunday. 

Get It Out

By the time Sunday night rolls around, you’re probably stressed out about a million things: all the errands and chores you didn’t do during the weekend, the growing to-do list for the coming week, and the fact that you just don’t feel rested enough to head back into the office on Monday.

Well, according to TCM’s body clock, we process our emotions most effectively from 7 to 9 pm. That means evening is the best time to turn inward and reflect on all those conflicting emotions you’re dealing with. A good way to process these thoughts and feelings is to journal about your thoughts from the previous week. It’s the perfect time to set your intentions for the coming week and go into it with the right mindset. This is also a great time to just braindump everything that you’re holding on to about what you have to do for work, school, and life.

There’s no getting rid of Sundays, but with a little help from TCM you can definitely banish the Scaries.