Talk about your "Sunday scaries"!
According to a recent study, Sundays are no longer a day of rest, but instead are viewed as a day of stress.
A new poll finds the average American experiences the 'Sunday scaries' 36 times a year. That's roughly nine months a year!
The survey of 2,000 adults found that this feeling is defined as anxiety (32%) or dread (17%) over what to expect for the following week. Typically, this panic about the work week sets in around 3:54 p.m. on Sunday.
Yes, these are the words used in the study to describe your average American worker on a Sunday afternoon.
"Terrified," "dread," "anxiety."
All because, what, we hate our jobs?
All of us?
Nearly a quarter of those surveyed said Sundays are harder to enjoy because of the looming thought of a new work or school week (23%). Those who experience the Sunday scaries say this is due to stress about what they need to get done during the week (36%), before the week (28%), or uncertainty about how the week will go (33%).
If your work is following you home, that's one thing. But if your work is ruining half of your weekend because you just don't want to be there the next week, I think there's a problem.
I don't think sharecroppers in the 1800s were "scared" to go back to work. I doubt this has anything to do with most Americans being "overworked." (Spare me the exceptions).
This almost certainly has to do with a society that seems to promote and push anxiety as a natural response to normal life.
According to 64% of those surveyed, Sundays are for getting a fresh start to the week, and as they reset, 30% do their grocery shopping over the weekend. Americans also use this time to try to get ahead of the week by creating a to-do list (30%), visualizing the week (24%), planning out meals (20%), preparing meals or cooking ahead (16%), and organizing their fridge or pantry (10%).
While I understand this desire to get off on the right foot, I think we've forgotten that Sunday's weren't always for running errands. In fact, until 60 or 70 years ago, you couldn't even run an errand or shop anywhere on a Sunday.
It was truly a day of rest for all.
Now it's a day of anxiety and terror as we try to improve our week by destroying our weekend.
We repeat this no-rest mode week after week after week.
I guess what I mean is ... Make the Sabbath Great Again!
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