How to prevent unnecessary worry, anxiety and sleepless nights every Sunday

As I sit here on Sunday afternoon, looking out of the window at grey overcast skies, knowing that in a few short hours it will be Monday morning and time to go back to work, I feel fantastic.

It appears that I’m one of the lucky few.

A survey of more than 20,000 workers by Monster.com reveals more than 80 percent of workers suffer Sunday-night insomnia due to work anxiety.

“Anticipatory worrying” is so common in many areas of life and not just confined to work related anxiety.

We tend to find ourselves getting worked up far in advance of actual events, anticipating all the things that could possibly go wrong.

A very wise man was quoted as saying “I have experienced many, many traumatic events in my life and, you know, some of them actually happened.”

If you’re suffering from Sunday night insomnia and anxiety here are some techniques to help you cope.

Get that Friday Feeling

Prepare for Monday before leaving the office on Friday.

Spend the last 30 minutes on a Friday clearing your desk or workspace and plan for the week ahead.

This will enable you to write any to do lists and get any materials you need ready for Monday morning.

If you think you couldn’t possibly spare 30 minutes on a Friday afternoon, you’ll be surprised at how much time this simple exercise saves you and prevents you from playing catch up all week.

You can than switch off from work mode and enjoy your weekend right up to the moment you step foot back in work.

Plan your “Funday” night experience

Another plan that can work is to plan Sunday evenings to be as much fun as possible.

Maybe catch up on your favourite TV programmes or absorb yourself in that book you’ve not got round to reading yet, phone family or friends and have a nice relaxing bath.

It is Sunday after all, didn’t we all used to have a bath on a Sunday night before school on a Monday?

If it’s all too much

Of course, if the anxiety of Sunday night completely washes over Sunday afternoon, Sunday morning and even starts working its special power as early as mid-day Saturday, it may be an indicator it is time to move on to another job.

And if it is becoming emotionally disruptive to you and your loved ones, professional help could be the answer.