‘Sunday scaries’: Why many people feel anxious on Sunday afternoons

Weekends are a chance to socialise, relax and recuperate, but for many of us, Sunday afternoons are marred by feelings of anxiety and dread dubbed the “Sunday scaries”.

Psychologist Sabina Read says there are several reasons why people experience end-of-weekend anxiety.

“If our work week represents nothing good then Sunday fever is probably going to set in,” she told Ross and Russel.

“We can have imposter syndrome where we’re thinking ‘Do I really know what I’m doing this week?’ … so we can challenge how we feel about ourselves and our capacity at work, we can be thinking about our social connections at work and if the people we hang with are people who fill us up.”

And people who enjoy their work aren’t immune from the Sunday scaries.

“Even when we enjoy our work it can still represent something that brings on a level of Sunday scary,” Sabina Read said.

Press PLAY below to hear what causes Sunday afternoon anxiety