With autumn in full swing, you might spend your weekends apple picking, pumpkin carving, and costume prepping.
One moment you are blissfully enjoying an apple cider donut after a hike or relaxing with a pumpkin spiced latte and a good mystery novel. Then before you know it, it’s Sunday evening and the reality of a new workweek starts to set in.
That shift from weekend mode to work mode is a familiar one. Some people call it the “Sunday Scaries,” but a few small habits can help keep the scares at bay and make the transition smoother.
This time of year, the ghouls and ghosts on your porch should be the only scary thing about Sunday night. Here’s how DCGers keep it that way:
1. Get Your Gear Ready
The Ghostbusters never walked into a call empty-handed. They show up with proton packs charged, traps loaded, and ready to roll. A quick Sunday reset can make sure you are just as prepared and instantly ease the worries about what’s ahead.
Tidy your desk, take out the trash and recycling, plan your lunches, or pack your bag by the door. Take a few minutes to look over your calendar for the next few days, so there are no surprise meetings lurking in the shadows. Even a 10-minute reset signals to your brain that you’ve got this, and the things that haunt you on Sunday night (a messy workspace, a missing charger, a forgotten deadline) lose their power. Anything you do, no matter how small, can help you feel more prepared.
2. Empty Your Brain
Every good jack-o-lantern starts the same way: by scooping everything out. We recommend taking the same approach for any tasks, reminders, or concerns bouncing around in your head.
Grab a piece of paper and empty it all out. A brain dump is a mental organization technique where you quickly write down everything on your mind, from work tasks, errands, appointments, or chores you’re worried about forgetting, without trying to organize or edit it first. The goal is to move this information out of our working memory and onto paper or a screen. Clearing your head can help give you the mental space to enjoy your evening worry free.
3. Plan something to enjoy on Sunday evening
The Sanderson sisters had a full night of fun planned, and so should you. The weekend isn’t over! Unless it helps you feel better, don’t waste your Sunday on Monday’s thoughts.
Plan a board game night with friends, try a new fall recipe, or set aside some time to put your feet up and watch a movie. Cue up a favorite spooky classic, a cozy mystery, or a not-too-scary comedy like Hocus Pocus and make some popcorn.
Having an activity planned gives you something at the end of the weekend to look forward to, which makes Sunday evening feel like an event instead of a countdown.
4. Spend Time Outside
Ichabod Crane’s autumn countryside ride is not one we would try to replicate, but the setting is hard to beat. There is no cure like the great outdoors. Fresh air, movement, and daylight are some of the most reliable ways to lift your mood, quiet a racing mind, and keep you from losing your head. Go for a morning run, take a sunset walk, spend the afternoon fishing, or enjoy the fall foliage from your back porch. Even 15 minutes outside can help you shake off restlessness and head into the evening feeling more grounded.
These four practices are key to preventing a jump scare on Monday morning, but the goal of a Sunday routine isn’t to squeeze in more to-dos. Instead, it should help you enjoy your weekend fully and head into Monday with momentum and a clear head. The best routine is whatever helps you feel ready and refreshed.
