Here’s What To Do About The “Sunday Scaries”

If you’re afraid of the work week ahead, there are a few things worth considering to avoid burnout. Writes Aisling O’Toole.

For one in four Australians, the “Sunday Scaries”, aka that anxious feeling that creeps in as your weekend creeps out, is caused by panic about tasks they’re expected to complete in the upcoming week.

In fact, the sense of anxiety is so severe that it impacts on sleep every Sunday evening and potentially into the week ahead.

If this sounds familiar, rest assured you’re not alone. In fact, research from The University of Queensland Business School shows that while 25% of us experience the Sunday Scaries, for some, it can be a sign that we’re headed towards burnout, especially if it continues for several weeks in a row.

However, the good news is that there are certain strategies you can adopt to try and stop the anxious feelings, and limit the impact they have on both your mental health and productivity.

Understand the cause

Are you feeling worried about the week ahead because you have a particular goal to hit or do you just have an underlying sense of dread?

If it’s the first, then you know that there’s an end in sight, however, if it’s the second then you might need to look a little deeper at the root cause and ask yourself a big question: are you headed for burnout?

Perhaps you’re overworked and in need of some time off––often, what presents as the Sunday Scaries is in fact chronic stress and overwork. Given that Australian workers experience burnout at a higher rate than the global average, the underlying cause of your feelings shouldn’t be ignored.

Research from Microsoft’s Work Trend Index showed that globally, 53% of managers admit to feelings of burnout compared to 66% of Australian managers. While for workers, 62% of Australians feel headed for burnout compared to the 48% global average.

Speak up

Experts suggest that sharing your concerns with colleagues or family members can help minimise levels of stress. If you’re concerned about an upcoming project or target that needs to be met, speaking to colleagues and your manager can alleviate concerns by learning that you’re not alone or by proactively coming up with solutions to your concerns.

Get ahead

Apprehension kicks in when you’re worried about the week ahead, which is why productivity experts suggest organising your week ahead over the weekend, or on a Friday afternoon if possible. Setting goals and organising your diary when things are quiet can prevent you from feeling overwhelmed, and allows you to allocate time efficiently.

Recognise the signs

Are you feeling anxious about returning to work because of something in particular––or is this how you feel every weekend? If you consistently dread Mondays, have taken steps to get ahead of your workload and manage expectations, then maybe it’s time you looked at moving jobs.

If your employer is unable or unwilling to support you then the Professional Beauty Job Board contains thousands of beauty roles at companies which pride themselves on supporting staff.

Explore three exciting open jobs below:

Store Manager, AESOP, Claremont

The Role: As Store Manager with AESOP you will use passionate and focused leadership to motivate and develop your team to create memorable, inclusive customer experiences that drive overall store performance.

The Responsibilities: Budgeting, store-specific marketing, building the store’s client base, as well as choreographing the daily activities of a team of retail consultants are key components.

The Requirements: You will have a proven track record of management experience within the customer service environment while working knowledge of skincare and the skincare industry alongside knowledge of haircare, bodycare and fragrance is desired but not essential.

Apply for the Store Manager role or browse all available opportunities at AESOP.

Dermal Clinician, Victorian Dermal Group, Kew

The Role: As a Dermal Clinician with the Victorian Dermal Group you’ll join one of Melbourne’s most progressive cosmetic practices.

The Responsibilities: You will be responsible for working with clients throughout their entire experience, advising on the best course of treatment and ensuring high levels of professionalism are maintained.

The Requirements: A minimum of three years’ experience is required. You’ll be trained across an array of treatments, including Candela GMAX Pro Laser, Fraxel, Revlite, Ultraformer III and Clear and Brilliant

Find out more about the Dermal Clinician role or discover more jobs at Victorian Dermal Group.

Customer Service Representative Beauty & Wellness, The Iconic, Sydney

The Role: As the Customer Service Representative for Beauty & Wellness with The Iconic you will provide exceptional customer service, and ensure a positive shopping experience.

The Responsibilities: You will work to provide clear and accurate skincare, makeup, and wellness advice to customers in-line with legal, safety, and other compliance requirements; engage and participate in creating social media content as required, and provide feedback to internal stakeholders on beauty and wellness-related matters.

The Requirements: You will have five or more years’ experience working in the beauty industry with previous experience in a customer service role.

Apply for the Customer Service Representative Beauty & Wellness role or browse more job opportunities at The Iconic.

The Professional Beauty Job Board contains hundreds of opportunities to find your next industry role.

This article was produced in partnership with Jobbio.

Read the current issue of our digital magazine here:

Have an idea for a story or want to see a topic covered on our site and in our pages? Get in touch at info@professionalbeauty.com.au.

Back to top