We may receive a portion of the sale if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
We all know the feeling: that subtle change that begins occasionally on a Sunday afternoon. This is when your mind starts to race and the softness of the weekend gives way. I’m not immune to Sunday Scaries (although yes, I genuinely love my job and my life). Still, there are evenings when Monday feels less like a new beginning and more like an approaching deadline.
In search of ways to replace that feeling of dread with something grounded—perhaps a little excitement of anticipation—I revisited Camille’s Breathing Space post on her Sunday Night Toolkit. His way of making the night sacred again instead of stress. Inspired by that philosophy, this guide is about creating your own Sunday reset: simple, basic rituals that calm your nervous system and help you enter Monday feeling clear, purposeful, and relaxed.
What Are Sunday Accidents (and Why Do They Happen?)
The Sunday Scaries aren’t human error – they’re a pattern. It’s what psychologists call anticipatory anxiety: the stress we feel because of something that hasn’t happened yet. As the weekend winds down, your nervous system senses change coming. Structure replaces spontaneity. Deadlines take the place of downtime. Even positive responsibilities can cause a subtle cortisol spike.
Add in a little unfinished business, an overbooked Monday calendar, or a weekend that lacked real rest, and it makes sense that Sunday night can feel overwhelming. The good news? Once you understand why Sunday Scaries occur, you can design your evenings in a way that works with your nervous system instead of against it.
Sunday Night Toolkit for Calming the Sunday Panic
If Sunday anxiety thrives on change, the solution is purpose. The goal isn’t to control your night or create a well-prepared schedule—it’s to steer yourself smoothly from weekend mode to the week ahead. Think of it as a toolkit, not a checklist. Traditions, not rules.
When Camille shared her Sunday Night Tool, it was very philosophical. Sunday can be holy. It could be a bridge instead of a cliff. Inspired by that thought, here’s how to create your own Sunday reset: a few basic routines to help you clear the mental clutter, get your nervous system under control, and head into Monday feeling prepared instead of stressed.
Start with the Anchor
Before you rearrange your week or open your planner, choose one trend that shows the transition from the weekend to the weekday. The anchor doesn’t need to be elaborate, just deliberate. For most of us, that starts with dinner.
A warm, veggie-forward meal delivered on Monday afternoon can reduce decision fatigue before the week begins. This can be about enjoying the ritual: chopping the vegetables, rolling the pot, and setting the table. The action itself becomes fundamental. If Sunday includes something that feels nutritious without being complicated, it softens the transition to come.
Quick win: Choose one easy old Monday dinner—soup, roasted vegetables, or a bowl of whole grains—and double it. (You can browse our favorite Sunday dinner recipes here.)
Reset Your Space in 20 Minutes
Sunday terrors are often brought on by the visual and mental blurriness we carry on Monday. Full deep cleaning is not the goal here. Think reset, not fix.
Set a timer for 20 minutes and focus only on what will make Monday morning feel lighter: wipe down the kitchen counters, unload the dishwasher, throw the laundry in the basket, sort through the pile of mail, refill your water carafe. Small acts of organization create uneven calm. When you wake up in an orderly place, your nervous system doesn’t immediately register chaos.
This is also a good time to prepare a small gift for Monday. Set up your coffee mug, lay out your workout clothes, or clear your desk for focused work.
Quick win: Set a timer for 20 minutes and reset the three spots you’ll see first thing Monday morning.
Small acts of organization create uneven calm.
Create a Ritual of Winding Down
If Sunday anxiety is your body preparing for impact, the ritual of pulling down is how you show you’re safe. Moving from the weekend to the weekday doesn’t have to be sudden—it can be smoothed over.
Turn down the lights. Take a hot shower or bath. Make a warm drink. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb and leave it in another room. Even small sensations—Epsom salts in the bath, a favorite candle, clean sheets—can signal your body and mind that it’s time to slow down.
The key is consistency. When you repeat the same ritual every Sunday, your body begins to associate it with calmness.
Quick win: Dim the lights after dinner and put your phone on Do Not Disturb for the rest of the night.
Set Goals, Not Just Actions
A long, chaotic to-do list can be the real culprit behind Sunday Scaries. If everything feels urgent, your brain is always in threat mode. The shift is subtle but powerful: from reactivity to purpose.
Instead of dumping all the work on the page, reverse the image first:
- Find your top one or two priorities per week—personally or professionally. What makes the church meaningful?
- List the small steps which support those important things. Let your to-do list provide the big picture, not replace it.
- Write down the worries you can’t control. Naming yourself helps your brain stop spinning.
When everything feels urgent, nothing feels supported. What matters is creating calm.
Quick win: Write down the two most important things for the week before entering anything else.
Plan for Monday’s Soft Landing
One of the biggest contributors to Sunday Scaries? A busy Monday. If your calendar is stacked with early meetings, hard work, and more important decisions, your nervous system starts racing the night before.
If you can, save for Monday morning. It ended up being easier than the rest of the week. Block time for focused work. Leave room for a slow coffee, a walk, or a few uninterrupted hours to get in shape. Even moving one meeting can change the tone of your entire week.
When Monday feels open instead of punishing, Sunday stops feeling like a countdown clock.
Quick win: Before going to bed, remove or rearrange one non-important Monday commitment.
What Makes Sunday So Scary
Sometimes reducing Sunday anxiety isn’t just about what you add—it’s about what you take away.
- Overpacking on Monday. A stacked calendar creates the pressure of anticipation before the week even begins.
- Doomscrolling at night. News, emails, and social feeds keep your nervous system active when it needs to wind down.
- Skipping true rest all weekend. If Saturday and Sunday were just delayed productivity days, your body would never be fully reprogrammed.
- Unfinished business is still visible. An open laptop or a cluttered desk indicates that it is “not perfect” in your brain.
- Fullness of decision. Starting a Monday without a plan often feels more stressful than a simple, focused one.
Awareness alone can change the tone. If you know what triggers Sunday Scaries, you can gently design around them.
The Takeaway
Sunday Scaries aren’t a personal failure—they’re a sign that your body and mind need a thoughtful transition between rest and commitment. When you treat Sunday night as a reset instead of a countdown, everything changes.
The goal here is not perfect practice. Just a few intentional anchors: a cozy dinner, a quick reset of your space, a pampering ritual, and a focused schedule for the week ahead. Start there. And if you want to go deeper, Camille’s comprehensive Sunday Night Toolkit is a great place to start.
This post was last updated on February 22, 2026, to include new information.