Sunday evening is not really the best part of the weekend. It is the time when you realize you have been acting....
TIGHT SPOT
Sunday evening is not really the best part of the weekend. It is the time when you realize you have been acting like a sloth all weekend. You had noble plans and you wanted to do everything that was supposed to make your life better, but you couldn’t stand against the forces of laziness. You protest, “When else can I indulge in watching funny videos, scrolling down my Facebook newsfeed and playing video games if not on Sunday?”
But heaps of dirty laundry, several unfinished assignments and art projects are calling you; when will you tick off these tasks from your list?
While slouched on the couch, your mind is constantly asking you questions that you don’t want to answer. You know your weekend is ruined!
Guys, weekend is too short to put your life together. Why not just focus on enjoying ourselves on Sunday because we can always work on Monday!
Like always, students are the most vulnerable creatures; some students who struggled with Sunday night blues all their lives share how they were able to deal with them.
We’re all in the same sinking ship
Don’t you feel better when you know your friend is as miserable as you are? Oh, every friend does! I keep an eye on my friend’s activities, so calling Bina - the sincerest of my buddies - every Sunday evening has become a ritual now. I cautiously ask her if she has studied anything over the weekend, and she always answers frantically, “No, I have not even touched my books!” I heave a sigh of relief and put down the phone.
It’s weird but it works; to know that your friends are with you in the same sinking ship is the best feeling. Always connect with your friends - only the lazy ones - when you are lagging behind in studies. At least you will have your friend by your side when your teacher kicks you out of the class.
Sundays are all yours!
I never liked Sundays; dealing with guests that stayed too long, doing the dishes when they left and finishing up the most tedious college projects were things I despised the most. We are always ready to sacrifice our weekend! Sunday is supposed to be spent on things that make us happy, but we always find ourselves drowning in all kinds of extra work. Accept that weekend means putting on comfy clothes and taking frequent naps and not worrying about work too much. Don’t burden yourself with extraneous tasks; you can always get back to them in the weekdays.
Look for the silver lining
As soon as anxiety kicks into your Sunday life, sit and jot down everything you have done during the weekend. Mention everything; write about your stalking adventures, your secret concerts in the shower, and that you tried on Mom’s new makeup. After you get the list, figure out what you learned from each activity. For example, by singing in the shower you learned that your voice sucks and you can’t be a singer and with mom’s new gel liner you can create perfect cat eyes; don’t take any sort of learning for granted. And it’s perfectly fine if you see you learned nothing from a particular activity; anyway, what would you really learn from mindlessly stalking Riz Ahmed and Ali Zafar who are least bothered about their fans?
Try to understand that everything that doesn’t qualify as “work” is not necessarily a waste of time. Every experience - no matter how senseless it is - ends up teaching you something. Sunday can be easily dedicated to this senselessness without feeling any guilt at all.
Sign out
We all enjoy memes, gifs and videos that capitalize on the assumption that people hate Monday. When my friends shared those memes with me, the captions on them would speak to my heart. “Monday again? You’ve to be kidding me” or “Sunday, come back!” or “Dear Monday, nobody likes you” were just few of them that described exactly how I felt on Sunday nights.
With time I began to understand the negative effects of such content on social media. I noticed on Sundays when my Wi-Fi wouldn’t work, I felt lighter and less stressed. Thanks to my pathetic internet service, I realized Monday was just another day! And to worry about it on Sunday is useless. Like exercise is solution to all your health problems, signing out from social media is solution to all your anxieties.
Just plan
Sometimes nothing seems to work and you feel like collapsing on Sunday night thinking about the work you have not been able to do on the weekend. In this case, sketching a plan will certainly calm you down. Make your to-do lists again, schedule tasks in the calendar, set reminders and promise yourself that you are going to be punctual, and that you are going to concentrate on important things in life. Even though you know you are not going to stick to your plans, these fake plans will trick your mind into feeling better.
An active body worries less
If you spend your entire weekend on the couch, chances are greater that you will feel groggier on Sunday night. Binge-watching TV shows all weekend might sound relaxing, but it’s less enjoyable than you think. Also engage yourself in active leisure; go out for a stroll, play badminton with neighbours’ kids, check out your local library, or plan a picnic with your family. Make sure at the end of the day you are too tired to worry.
