Fighting the Sunday Scaries: Preventing Burnout in the Workplace
The phrase “culture is how your employees feel on Sunday night” has become so ubiquitous that even dating apps like Hinge have prompts for users creating their profiles about “fighting the Sunday scaries.” While some apprehension about returning to work after a pleasant weekend or holiday is normal–most of us would prefer more time with our loved ones, after all–it can quickly become a source of emotional distress, especially during periods of work overload. Left unmanaged, this overload often leads to full-on burnout that can cascade negatively through our lives both at work and at home–how many of you have found yourself emotionally drained after repeatedly consoling your partner or a friend about their burnout?
Leaders, take note: if you’re not actively modeling strategies for workplace resilience and visibly prioritizing your own wellbeing, you’re likely contributing to a burnout culture that damages your business through reduced profitability, higher turnover, increased illness rates, and diminished productivity.
Practical Solutions Beyond Taking a Mental Health Day
Taking a mental health day when needed is an absolutely valid use of a personal day or a sick day, in my opinion. Mental health is an integral part of your overall health. But what happens when you return to an even larger workload? How can you properly care for yourself when all you can think about when you’re not at work is the mounting pile waiting for you upon your return?
Start With Transparent Communication
Have direct conversations with your manager about how you’re feeling. Bring a comprehensive list of everything on your plate. A good leader will help you prioritize, delegate, or simply decline tasks that aren’t critical to your team’s mission and priorities. Many early-career professionals struggle with saying no, fearing damage to their reputation. Remember, though: the best partners are never yes-people, and blindly agreeing to everything does your teammates a disservice.
Reflect on Root Causes
Take time to understand why you’re overloaded. Early in my career, I struggled to say no to requests for training solutions (whether appropriate or not). It took years to realize I needed to transition from order-taker to strategic learning-partner for the business–a true solutions-provider who asks thoughtful questions to understand stakeholder needs and confidently say “no” when appropriate.
Additionally, clearly communicating when a deadline needs adjustment is always preferable to missing it entirely. The former builds your reputation as being skilled at stakeholder management; the latter labels you as unreliable.
Reframe Your Thinking
While managing your workload, remember to celebrate your strengths:
People request your help because they enjoy working with you
Your heavy workload reflects others’ confidence in your capabilities
Your worth extends beyond productivity–find fulfillment outside of work too
And while you discover the power of positive thinking to help you stay resilient at work, you can spread the love! Encourage recognition among your peers–it builds a positive team culture that everyone benefits from, and grows your professional brand as a champion who spotlights not only your own successes but those of your partners, building trust and camaraderie on your team.
Science-Backed Resilience Strategies
As a meditation instructor who is passionate about the neuroscience of stress, I recommend these additional approaches:
Practice solid boundaries–compartmentalize work and home life when necessary
Meditate regularly–just 5 minutes of focused breathwork can do wonders for your energy levels and reduce the presence of the stress hormone Cortisol in your bloodstream
Engage in physical activity–Take your dog for a walk, do some chair yoga if you’re pressed for time, stretch on the ground for a few minutes. There’s not really a wrong way to do this one.
Vent constructively without fixating when needed–find a friend, preferably one who you don’t work with, and vent if you need to. But understand that once you’ve let out your frustrations it’s time to move on to solutions.
Discuss challenges with non-work friends–it’s best to find an unbiased ear who can give you a safe place to say what you really think.
As we navigate tremendous societal change–the AI revolution, evolving workplace dynamics and changing needs of new generations of workers–we must pursue not just work-life balance but work-life integration, where professional demands complement rather than compete with our personal happiness. Developing strong resiliency skills is integral to adapting to the future world of work.
Interested in hearing more? Let’s chat and discuss how I can help your organization!