According to an article by CNBC and supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Harvard Business Review, young adult Millennials and Generation Z are more likely to experience Anxiety
"Sunday Scaries", also known as "Sunday Anxiety" or "Case of the Mondays", is the dread we feel at the end of a work or school week.
The symptoms of anxiety in young adults can be sudden and prolonged. These symptoms include:
Excessive Worry
Difficulty in thinking about anything else OTHER than the worry
Feeling restless, tense, or nervous
Difficulty Sleeping
Disruption of appetite
Irritability
In 2018, LinkedIn conducted survey that revealed “80% of professionals experience the Sunday Scaries, with over 90% of Millennials and Generation Z reporting they feel it.” There are a few causes that can trigger the Sunday Scaries.
There is hope! To help reduce anxiety among our young adults, there are helpful strategies that can be employed to help manage your anxiety so it doesn't manage you.
Strategies to Help Young Adults Reduce Anxiety
Leaving tasks incomplete from the previous week can trigger symptoms of anxiety. Given today’s expectations at work or school, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the number of responsibilities we have. It is engrained in our psyche that working hard equates to success, but at what cost?
Whether it be chores, errands, homework, or just managing work-life balance, thinking about your to-do list can create a sense of uneasiness.
Even if as a young adult you manage your schedule well, you may still experience Sunday Scaries. This can be related to unhappiness about your chosen career path, toxic relationships, or family conflict.
If the weekend represents your break from stress, and the thought of entering the week triggers anxiety, this may an underlying symptom of a deeper issue. Fortunately, there are several ways to address this matter.
1. Review Your Schedule
Organize tasks based on priority. Making a list can disrupt your excessive worry and reframe tasks from unmanageable to manageable. Be sure to set limits on what you complete each day.
2. Enjoy Time Off
As mentioned earlier, it is engrained in our psyche to “stay busy”. Often, we make a list of recreational activities to do when we are off from work or school and criticize ourselves when those tasks are not accomplished. If you slept in and binged watched Netflix all day, reframe your thoughts of failure to “I made time to relax”.
3. Embrace the Weekend
Plan relaxing or fun events on Saturday AND Sunday. Habitually, we use Sunday evening to prep for the week ahead. Try rearranging your schedule and use Friday as a prep day for Monday.
Another habit is overloading our Monday, so we have less to do on Friday. This practice takes us back to square one, which is dreading Monday because all the work you must do!
4. Seek Counseling From a Specialist in Young Adult Counseling
If you are a young adult and have symptoms of anxiety that never seem to go away or progressively get worse, there could be a deeper struggle to address. Talking to a therapist who specializes in counseling young adults can help.
A counselor for young adults can help you learn coping skills to manage your symptoms of anxiety. A young adult therapist can also help you learn tricks to challenge your thoughts that generate the feeling of anxiety.
In short, Sunday Scaries, aka Sunday Anxiety, is a growing issue. With the societal pressure increasing to be successful at the highest levels, it is no wonder that many young adults feel overwhelmed with school or work-related tasks.
Over time this pressure can impact performance, relationships with peers, and family life. If Sunday Scaries are an issue for you, take time to research options to improve your work-life balance.
Specialists in Young Adult Counseling: Katy, Tx & Houston
As a young adult, life comes at you quickly. The stress and pressures of, not only making it in the world on your own but doing so successfully, can create anxiety. Don't let anxiety block your path to success.
A young adult therapist can help. There are many effective therapeutic tools that can help you overcome young adult anxiety. Our young adult counselors are standing by!
Our Katy, Tx location is conveniently located just off of 99 and I-10. We are about 4-5 blocks behind (south) Academy Sports.
If you are ready to start learning how to manage your anxiety so it no longer manages you, all you need to do is follow these three simple steps:
Contact Katy Teen & Family Counseling
Speak with one of our therapists who specialize in young adult counseling
Start today in learning skills that will help you overcome your anxiety!
Other Therapy and Counseling Services Offered at Katy Teen & Family Counseling
At our Katy, Tx location of Katy Teen & Family Counseling, we use therapy and counseling approaches that are supported by research. These approaches have been shown to work in the shortest amount of time.
We provide teen therapy, counseling for young adults, family therapy, and marriage counseling or couples therapy.
We also offer the following therapy and counseling services:
Board Certified Neurofeedback Therapy
Neurofeedback for Anxiety Counseling
Neurofeedback for Anxiety/Panic attacks
Neurofeedback for Peak Academic performance (optimal academic brain performance)
Neurofeedback for Peak Athletic Performance (optimal athletic brain performance)
Neurofeedback Therapy for Depression
Neurofeedback Therapy for Trauma
Neurofeedback for
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR Therapy)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
About the Author
Jheri Walters, LCSW-S is a seasoned young adult therapist. She specializes in teen therapy, young adult counseling, family therapy, couples therapy & marriage counseling.
Jheri has been providing therapy to teens, young adults, families, and couples since 2009. She enjoys using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) due to it being backed by research and shown to be effective.
Jheri is also a Supervisor providing mentoring and supervision to up and coming therapists. She has taken ownership to ensure the new therapists are therapists highly trained and qualified to provide therapy to others.
Jheri helps teens, young adults, families, and couples in the Katy, Tx and Houston area who struggle with: marriage or relationship struggles, ADHD/ADD, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, trauma, PTSD, and other challenges.
Jheri also has a unique understanding of some of the challenges teens and young adults face who are bi-racial. Identity, acceptance, and embracing a mixed heritage are some of the life journey's she helps teens and young adults with.
346-202-4662
