What Are The Sunday Scaries?

A little over 200 years ago, in the early 1800’s, Sunday was traditionally the only day of rest. The working class was on the clock 6 days a week. Saturday was payday, and Sunday was dedicated to leisure.

At that time, the United States was going through its first Industrial Revolution, and the working class began transitioning from the “putting-out” system to the factory system.

The “putting-out” system was basically a subcontracting system. Subcontractors would complete work off-site, either at their home or worship, for a central entity.

The Industrial Revolution introduced the factory system. The factory system was a new, centralized manufacturing system that incorporated heavy & expensive machinery to utilize economies of scale and mass production. Hence, American’s stopped “Putting-Out.”

While the working class started transitioning from farmlands & workshops to cities & factories, the “work week” started to evolve. The industrial revolution was one of the largest factors in changing work-life from autonomous & flexible to managed & structured.

Yes, even during the Industrial Revolution, people were already enjoying Sunday Fundays. In the 1850s and 1860s, Sundays were also filled with activities, many of which included drinking alcohol.

The new working class was divided into trade guilds who usually had their own singing and drinking establishments. They even bar-hopped together among their favorite taverns.

Then Monday morning would hit, and the hangovers would set in. Workers started traditions of skipping Monday work, which they called saving “Saint Monday.”

At that time, Sunday and Monday actually became the working class “weekend” and Saturday remained a full day of work.

During the Industrial Revolution, “Saint Monday” was the term adopted for Monday absenteeism after a Sunday of debauchery. Saving “Saint Monday” simply meant workers took another day of leisure to recover from their drunkenness and relax. They also referred to Saint Monday as “The People’s Holiday.”

In the new factory system, workers could also work extra hours to earn enough money to take extra days off. In addition, new railroads and technological advances in entertainment like music halls and theaters provided exciting new incentives for indulging Sundays & taking Monday off.

Notably, major industries became accustomed to workers saving “Saint Monday” and, in general, it was well tolerated.

However, Henry Ford did not.

1896 was an iconic date for the United States; Henry Ford launched his first car, The Quadricycle Runabout. And by 1908 the first Model T was released.

Championed as the first, affordable mode of transportation, the Model T represented newfound freedom for the working class. The Model T was also highly durable, easy to maintain and inexpensive; a technology to be enjoyed.

But prior to those launches, Ford had to make substantial changes to the way his workforces were managed. He did not favor the unpredictable and flawed “Saving Saint Monday” work culture. The new Ford assembly lines required a reliable, punctual and dedicated workforce.

That being said, Ford understood that in order to sell cars, people needed ample time off to enjoy them. Since Ford’s best customers were his own workforce, he began giving his employees two-day weekends (Saturday & Sunday) shortly after the first Model T was released in 1908. Why would people buy Model T’s if they were stuck in factories 6 days a week?

Let the people be happy & recharge! Notably, it wasn’t a government bill or a federal decision that solidified the 2-day break for the workforce, it was the progressive employers. The 40-hour work week regulations wouldn’t even be implemented by the federal government until 1938. It was the forward-thinking companies that started to discover that their workforce efficiency and productivity increased during 5 day workweeks after 2 days of break.

By giving their workforces adequate time to actually enjoy life and the new technologies of the industrial revolution, companies experienced a significant reduction in absenteeism and turnover.

The impact had massive implications across supplemental industries as well. Religious groups, consumer packaged goods, commercial leisure, transportation and retail industries all experienced massive growth.

Cheers to Henry Ford, eh? He’s one of the primary catalysts for creating the weekend, the 5-day workweek and the origin of Sunday Scaries.

Let’s start with the first one: alcohol (yes, it’s a drug). Did you know your brain has a very hard time regulating your mood when you’re hungover? According to Carl Hart, Professor of Psychology at Columbia University who specializes in the neuropharmacological effects of drugs in humans, drinking alcohol heavily during the weekend depletes your brain of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), serotonin & glutamate.

GABA helps us feel relaxed and handle stress. Lacking serotonin induces anxiety and depressed feelings. And glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that’s inhibited while drinking alcohol. When you stop drinking, your body tries to “catch up” and make more glutamate which causes energy. This energy is what hinders you from falling asleep after a boozy night and fuels your existing anxiety with restlessness.

Friday night drinks + Saturday boozing = Sunday Scaries.

In short: after a weekend of boozing, alcohol:

• • Depletes brain of GABA = can’t handle stress
• • Depletes brain of serotonin = induces anxiety

• Depletes brain of glutamate = causes restlessness

Not surprisingly, if you decide to rip some lines over the weekend, you’re even more vulnerable to feeling the Sunday Scaries (among larger issues). Not only does coke leave your brain deprived of serotonin, it also hinders the brain’s ability to reabsorb dopamine.

Dopamine is the brain’s ‘feel good neurotransmitter’ and is released when you experience something pleasurable like sex, amazing food or watching King Joffrey die in Game of Thrones.

Last but not least, a little cocaine up the nostril will escalate cortisol production in your brain (“stress hormone”). Increased levels of cortisol lead to anxiety, panic attacks and paranoia.

In short: after a weekend of ripping lines, cocaine:

• Depletes brain of serotonin = induces anxiety
• Hinders reuptake of dopamine = lack of happiness
• Increases cortisol levels = induces more anxiety

MDMA works a little differently to ruin your Sunday night. While coming down off MDMA does largely decrease the brain’s serotonin levels, MDMA’s negative effects are rooted more in the absence of norepinephrine than dopamine.

When high on MDMA, your brain releases copious amounts of norepinephrine which causes arousal, alertness, vigilance, attention and retrieval of memory. However, during your crash, your brain is largely inhibited from norepinephrine reuptake.

Guess what that means? If you “rolled your balls off” over the weekend, your lack of norepinephrine reuptake is going to take you down the road of inattentiveness, laziness (lack of energy), depressing feelings and fogginess.

In short: after a weekend flying high, MDMA:

• Depletes your brain of serotonin = induces anxiety
• Hinders reuptake of norepinephrine = lack of concentration & energy
• Hinders reuptake of dopamine = lack of happiness

This is the interesting pairing… because psychedelics are probably your best bet for a weekend indulgence without the almost-guaranteed Sunday pain. No, this is not & never will be a recommendation. But nice try.

Of all the drugs mentioned previously, psychedelics are the only class of drugs actually used in medical therapies to reduce anxiety, stress and depression. Also, unlike alcohol, cocaine and MDMA, LSD is not considered a physically addictive drug. The definition of a physical addition is that once you stop taking the drug, significantly unpleasant symptoms will occur: anxiety, jitters, nausea, depression and insomnia. More good news: overdosing on LSD is very rare according to The Addiction Center.

That being said, coming down off a “trippy trip” can have its own bout of complications. Even though psychedelics aren’t physically addicting, they can cause unpleasant and adverse experiences, which can haunt you all the way to work, Monday morning.

In short: after a weekend tripping, psychedelics:

• May cause continued hallucinations & confusion
• May cause continued dizziness & nausea
• May cause extended sleeplessness

For a Weekend Warrior, the feelings of Sunday Scaries resemble both physical and moral hangovers. Your Sunday Scaries are feelings of panic that creep in when you’re coming down off a fun weekend, during which you spent way too much money & made questionable decisions.

Still feeling nauseous Sunday night? Are you scrolling back through pictures from Friday & Saturday hoping you didn’t do anything regrettable? Yep, you’re a Weekend Warrior, which is why your Sunday Scaries are fueled by the anxiousness that your brain fog won’t clear by Monday morning.

Even though you’re a Weekend Warrior, you take pride in your work. Your mental arena is important to you, so underperforming isn’t an option. The impasse between “Work Hard” and “Play Hard” is deep and challenging. However, the very nature of your Warrior mentality will always help you overcome your special recipe of Sunday Scaries.

If you’re a Weekend Warrior, it’s okay to go off the rails every once in a while because you’ll always get back on track.

Sunday Sentence: Annie had a bachelorette weekend and partied her face off, but now she has the Sunday Scaries because she’s hungover, lost a credit card & has no idea how to handle the week ahead of her.

For a Weekend Warrior, the feelings of Sunday Scaries resemble both physical and moral hangovers. Your Sunday Scaries are feelings of panic that creep in when you’re coming down off a fun weekend, during which you spent way too much money & made questionable decisions.

Still feeling nauseous Sunday night? Are you scrolling back through pictures from Friday & Saturday hoping you didn’t do anything regrettable? Yep, you’re a Weekend Warrior, which is why your Sunday Scaries are fueled by the anxiousness that your brain fog won’t clear by Monday morning.

Even though you’re a Weekend Warrior, you take pride in your work. Your mental arena is important to you, so underperforming isn’t an option. The impasse between “Work Hard” and “Play Hard” is deep and challenging. However, the very nature of your Warrior mentality will always help you overcome your special recipe of Sunday Scaries.

If you’re a Weekend Warrior, it’s okay to go off the rails every once in a while because you’ll always get back on track.

Sunday Sentence: Annie had a bachelorette weekend and partied her face off, but now she has the Sunday Scaries because she’s hungover, lost a credit card & has no idea how to handle the week ahead of her.

If you’re The Adventurer, your feelings of Sunday Scaries comes directly from the anxiety of confinement. You spent the weekend hiking, traveling and focused on trying new things outside your normality. Even though you’ll wake up fresh Monday morning, Sunday night will be spent dreading your office chair and boxed-in set of responsibilities.

Discover a new waterfall last weekend? Find a new, speakeasy restaurant? Go canoeing across the lake? Your Sunday Scaries are tied directly to trading your outdoor Patagonia to indoor button-ups & sweaters. Your Sunday anxiety is fueled by the change in horizon. It’s no longer a sunset behind snow-capped mountains, but a faint orange light through your office window.

The Sunday Scaries are the dreaded feelings of demise for your freedom. You spent the weekend traveling, experiencing new things, but Monday is on the horizon, and so is your boxy office and stack of To-Dos.

But fret not, for it’s important to understand part of your appreciation for adventure is reflectant of the hard work you put in during the week. While your Sunday Scaries reflect the notion of captivity in the workplace, remind yourself that captivity is a springboard to complete adventuring freedom in the future.

Sunday Sentence: Kevin hiked a mountain and canoed with hippos this weekend, but the thought of returning to his 6×6 cubicle & office chair tomorrow is giving him a well deserved plate of the Sunday Scaries.

For The Professional, your Sunday Scaries are feelings of uncertainty on Sunday evenings about whether you’re truly passionate about your job. As you lay on your couch, the Sunday Scaries make you wonder what type of job would actually make you excited for Mondays.

Does it seem like all your friends love what they’re doing? Are you aimlessly scrolling job postings and LinkedIn feeds instead of Instagram? Thinking of possibly eating those leftovers from last Wednesday so you can stay home sick tomorrow? The Professional’s Sunday Scaries are fueled by the impasse between the drive to succeed and the current road to success.

If you’re The Professional, even your off-the-clock work during the weekend and Sunday preparation can’t stave off the Sunday Scaries…. Because your anxiety runs deeper than a few meetings and work projects. Your Sunday Scaries are rooted in the entirety of your position.

But rest assured, while you might be a late bloomer, your flower will be larger than the rest. Your drive and motivation are soft skills that can’t be taught, and soon enough you’ll find that role that makes you excited for Monday mornings once again.

Sunday Sentence: Natalie is a marketing project manager, but gets the Sunday Scaries every Sunday night because she doesn’t feel passionate about her career path, and knows that there’s something better fitted for her so she can actually enjoy Mondays.

For The Professional, your Sunday Scaries are feelings of uncertainty on Sunday evenings If you’re The Entrepreneur, then your Sunday Scaries are the most cyclical of all… because they’re never ending and predictably unpredictable. The Entrepreneur’s Sunday Scaries are rooted in anticipatory anxiety because the upcoming week will always be an onslaught of frustrating surprises.

Will my website credit card processing go down? Will my supply chain partner meet his deadline? Will my shipments make it to the customers on-time? Is the city still doing construction in front of my store? For The Entrepreneur, the Sunday Scaries are fueled by indefinite nervousness for the week ahead. Even though everyday feels like a Monday, Monday just feels like a double Monday.

Unlike the other personality archetypes, if you’re The Entrepreneur, then you’re the boss. Most liabilities, fires and problems will eventually fall in your lap. While most of the weekend was spent catching up on last week’s problems, Sunday evening will be rich in worry for what’s lurking around the Monday corner.

But rest assured, The Entrepreneur’s Sunday Scaries are reflectant of freedom & passion. If you’re The Entrepreneur, then unlike most of the other archetypes, you’re already set on your own path. Relish in the fact that your Sunday Scaries are merely reflections of the courage & challenges you’ve set in motion.

Sunday Sentence: Leo finally got caught up with his business’s monthly accounting reports this weekend, but his Sunday Scaries have kicked in because he’s launching a new marketing campaign tomorrow.

For the Super Parent, the Sunday Scaries are rooted in the anxious transition between the unpredictable weekend and routined week. If you’re a Super Parent, you spent the weekend like a personal concierge for your children. You attended soccer & baseball games all over town, cleaned ice cream out of your cupholder and figured out how to remove Pop Tarts off your beautiful Swiss White walls.

Where did your weekend go? Did the kids finish all their homework? Are they prepared for their week? Am I? For the Super Parent, Sunday Scaries are fueled by “survival parenting” which is the notion of “just making it through the weekend while maintaining parental awesomeness.” Unlike most of the other personality archetypes, The Super Parent’s Sunday Scaries are also sprinkled with exhaustion; a common symptom of handling all your responsibilities like a champ.

Rest assured, there’s nothing more rewarding than getting the Sunday Scaries as a Super Parent. It’s the right of passage between a busy weekend and structured week. Plus, at the end of a long Sunday, a bottle of rich red cabernet has never tasted so good.

Sunday Sentence: The kids have been bathed, Sunday night cookies are in the oven, there’s a fresh week ahead and Chrissy’s Sunday Scaries are finally starting to subside.