The Sunday Evening Feeling - And What It’s Trying to Tell You
It usually arrives without warning.
That subtle tightness in your chest. The creeping sense of dread. A heaviness that builds as the light begins to fade on a Sunday evening. You’ve had a restful weekend (or maybe you haven’t) and yet, the feeling comes anyway.
Most people brush it off as just a natural end-of-week slump. But what if it’s something more? What if your Sunday sadness is actually trying to tell you something?
Psychologists have long noted that what we call the “Sunday Scaries” - low mood, anxiety, and even stomach tension - are often linked to anticipatory stress. In simple terms, it’s our nervous system reacting to what we expect from the coming week. According to a survey by LinkedIn and The Harris Poll, over 80% of professionals say they regularly experience this type of anxiety on Sunday evenings.
And it makes sense. For many, the week ahead means:
A calendar filled with obligations
Mental clutter and decision fatigue
A return to environments that don’t energise or inspire
Performing a role that feels increasingly disconnected from who they are
But here’s the thing: the Sunday feeling is not just about work. It’s about alignment. Or more accurately, misalignment.
In coaching, we often start with these quiet discomforts. A subtle knot in the stomach. A feeling of “not this again.” They may seem small, but they carry weight. They are clues… gentle nudges pointing to areas of your life that want attention, clarity, or change.
This isn’t a call to quit your job or abandon your responsibilities. It’s an invitation to get curious:
What part of your week feels heaviest - and why?
What would a nourishing Monday look like instead?
Where could one small shift give you more breathing room?
Research from the Journal of Positive Psychology shows that engaging in reflective practices - like journalling or coaching - can reduce anticipatory anxiety by increasing a sense of agency and self-awareness. In other words, when we name what’s going on, it starts to loosen its grip.
So, the next time that Sunday feeling creeps in, try this:
Light a candle or make a cup of tea.
Sit somewhere quiet with a notebook or your thoughts.
Ask: “What is this feeling really about?”
Let it speak - without rushing to fix it.
Sometimes, the Sunday feeling is just your soul whispering, “There must be more than this.”
And there is. You just need space to find it.