Half of UK Employees Suffer From “Sunday Scaries”

In today’s world, there are so many buzz words around work, from quiet quitting to Bare Minimum Mondays. But Sunday Scaries are the latest phenomenon. We all know the feeling: it’s a Sunday evening and Monday morning looms, causing for many a feeling of anxiety.

“Sunday Scaries” is defined as an anxiety experienced the day before returning to work. Although Sunday is in the name, the concept can be applied to any day of the week.

A recent study, conducted on 1500 Brits, by Currys explores a range of work-related stressors. Out of those surveyed, over half (54%) admitted that they suffered with Sunday Scaries.

The biggest Sunday anxiety stressor was that the worrisome “boss wants to talk” fear (35%). This could be as a result of experiencing an out of context text or email, which calls into question the conversation around workplace boundaries.

Second on the list was “overdue deadlines” (27%). The list also featured the sound of a “Teams/Slack Notification” (11%), “Colleagues Oversharing” (16%) and “Imposter Syndrome” (16%).

Third on the list, and perhaps most interestingly, was “Going Into The Office” (24%), which worried nearly a quarter of employees. Due to the pandemic, a lot of employees started working from home and the migration back to the office may be troublesome for many.

Although, it looks like WFH is here to stay! Recent statistics suggest that nearly a quarter of employees continue to work hybrid, which could also be a factor in keeping security teams up at night, due to more endpoints to secure! Lookout’s 2023 “The State of Remote Work” report, for example, shows that 32% of remote workers use apps or software for work that are not approved by IT.

However, with the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt suggesting that office working should be “default”, this percentage may increase over time.

Especially as, according to Google trends, searches for “work from home jobs” have increased by 110% over the past 12 months. In fact, according to Google trends, searches for “work from home jobs” have increased by 110% over the past 12 months.

Currys also sought the advice of Navit Schechter, experienced CBT therapist and mental health writer, who specialises in work-based issues and anxiety disorders, to help those suffering with work-related anxieties in the long run. She added: “If you dread the thought of work on a Sunday because your role doesn’t fulfil you, you don’t have enough support, there are unclear expectations on you, you’re working with difficult personalities, you feel overwhelmed with everything you’re expected to do or similar then being honest with yourself about what the problem is and seeking to find a solution will help you in the long-run.”

Schechter continues: “If you’re being given too much work or not enough support, speak to your manager. If the role doesn’t fulfil you or you think you’d do better in another team, look for another job. Finding a role that fulfils you and that you’re passionate about, or a team you enjoy working with can make the thought of another week at work much easier to bear.”

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