Sunday evenings have become a source of anxiety for many workers, with a growing share reporting feelings of restlessness, low mood and stress as the weekend draws to a close.
The trend has become so widespread it has been dubbed the “Sunday Scaries” — a term used to describe anticipatory anxiety about the week ahead.
New research found that over half of full-time workers experience this type of stress before Monday. Nearly half said that a shorter workweek would help reduce Sunday anxiety, while others cited changes such as flexible schedules, remote work on Mondays or later start times as potential solutions.
The findings suggest that Sunday stress is no longer just a fleeting feeling. For many, it disrupts sleep, reduces motivation and leads to a sense of dread that can affect performance and wellbeing throughout the week.
Sleep, Stress and the Short Weekend
One in two workers said they stayed up later on Saturday nights to extend their free time, despite knowing it would make Sunday feel worse. This pattern of delaying rest highlights how highly people value personal time, even at the expense of their recovery.
Other respondents described symptoms such as fatigue, irritability and low energy starting on Sunday and spilling into the workweek. Around a quarter said they felt depressed on Sundays, not just anxious, and nearly four in 10 planned to make lifestyle changes to reduce these feelings.
Younger workers in particular reported a stronger impact, with many saying pre-work stress had harmed their relationships. A large proportion said Sunday anxiety disrupted their ability to relax or connect with others before the week began.
What Drives Pre-Work Anxiety?
Workers attributed their Sunday stress to several common factors:
- Heavy or unclear workloads
- Long hours or insufficient recovery
- Lack of control over schedules
- Excessive meetings on Mondays
- Difficulty switching off from work at weekends
When workers begin the week depleted rather than rested, the effects are far-reaching. These include higher absence rates, lower engagement, reduced productivity and increased turnover.
The data also showed differences in how people cope. Some respondents said they used substances such as alcohol to relax on Sundays, with notable gender differences in this behaviour. Others reported using mindfulness, exercise or physical recovery methods such as hydrotherapy to unwind.
A Call for Structural Change
A four-day week was the most frequently cited structural solution. Nearly half of respondents said it would ease Sunday stress. Pilot programmes testing this model have shown benefits for productivity, wellbeing and retention, especially when designed around focused output rather than reduced workload.
Beyond a full schedule change, workers also expressed interest in smaller changes:
- Paid mental health days
- Flexible or remote Mondays
- Lighter Monday workloads
- Encouragement to disconnect at weekends
Workers increasingly view wellbeing as a core part of their employment offer, not a bonus or add-on.
What Employers Can Do
- Start with the data.
Employers should monitor when stress and disengagement begin. Pulse surveys, return-to-work check-ins, and absence tracking can help map whether pre-work anxiety is affecting staff. - Rethink Monday routines.
Avoid back-to-back meetings at the start of the week. Allow for planning time or ease into priorities gradually. Even simple changes like delaying the first meeting until mid-morning can help. - Encourage real recovery.
Support employees to switch off over the weekend. That might mean no emails after 6pm on Fridays or setting clear expectations about response times. Helping staff protect their personal time also protects their capacity. - Pilot flexible starts or short weeks.
Not all roles can shift to a four-day schedule, but trials of compressed hours or flexible Monday starts can help teams recover and perform more effectively. - Support healthy routines.
Promote low-cost tools for recovery, such as short walks, journalling, stretching or evening wind-down habits. Offer guidance or space for employees to build their own rituals that ease Sunday stress. - Train managers.
Line managers play a crucial role in setting workloads, managing expectations and identifying signs of stress. Equip them to check in meaningfully and to help staff prioritise rather than overload. - Communicate clearly.
Make wellbeing support easy to access and understand. If employee assistance programmes or mental health resources are available, reinforce their use in onboarding and regular communication.
A New Focus on the Weekend–Work Transition
Pre-work anxiety is not new, but the scale and impact now place it firmly on the agenda for employers. The move towards wellbeing-focused work culture means organisations must consider not just what happens between nine and five, but also how people feel the night before.
Whether through a shorter working week, flexible starts or better manager support, reducing Sunday anxiety is fast becoming a key way to improve both wellbeing and performance. For many, a better Monday begins with what the employer does — or doesn’t — ask of them on Sunday.