Picture the scene, it’s Sunday afternoon and you’ve had a great weekend.  You’ve re-charged your batteries, caught up with some jobs around the house  and  hopefully spent time doing some things you really enjoy.

You probably feel slightly fed up that the weekend has gone so quickly but  make sure that you do something relaxing on Sunday evening so that you can make the most of the last few hours and are ready to face the week ahead with optimism and energy. Although most of us would like our weekends to carry on a bit longer we can usually get this feeling into perspective, have a refreshing Sunday night and be ready to go on Monday morning.

BUT, what if   Monday morning conjures us such a heavy sense of dread that no amount of distraction, alcohol or mindless activity can shift  it? Or, maybe your “Sunday Night Syndrome” is so pernicious  it starts before you even leave work on Friday and  then overshadows your whole weekend?

We all experience Sunday Night Syndrome to some extent but how we respond to it is key.  If your  “SNS”  is mild you can usually manage it by making sure that you balance your work life effectively with your other interests and responsibilities. Make sure you get enough sleep and exercise, talk to friends and family about your feelings and importantly,  start to think about the longer term changes that you can make.

If, however your “SNS” is destroying your weekends, making you unhappy and irritable and ruining your sleep or relationships it clearly needs more serious attention.    Please be assured, there is always something you can do, even if it doesn’t seem obvious at first.  Take some time  to ask yourself what is really going on under the surface and think about how you can address the root cause rather than just managing the symptoms.  Talk to a good friend or work with a coach to address your worries and fears and to explore how you can start to move forward in a more positive and healthy way.

“The most glorious moments in your life are not the so-called days of success, but rather those days when out of dejection and despair you feel rise in you a challenge to life, and the promise of future accomplishments.”  – Gustav Flaubert