What Are the Sunday Scaries? And How ACT Therapy Can Help You Cope

By: Kerry McCarthy, LMHC, LPC, CPC, LAC

The Sunday Scaries are those creeping waves of dread that roll in as the weekend winds down. It’s more than just a case of the “Mondays.” It’s a mix of mental and physical unease: racing thoughts, a restless body, and the sinking feeling that the freedom of the weekend is slipping away, replaced by looming responsibilities and pressure. It’s the tension of anticipating what’s ahead - often before it’s even begun.

For someone working as a nurse, it might show up as a tight chest and a restless mind while mentally running through the next shift — wondering if the ER will be understaffed AGAIN, if a difficult patient will return, or if sleep will come easily after a long shift. Even in the comfort of home, it can feel like the workweek has already started. There may be a sense of irritability, trouble relaxing, and difficulty staying present with loved ones.

The experience of the Sunday Scaries is a common one. And while the details may differ whether you’re a teacher bracing for a week of standardized testing, a police officer anticipating back-to-back night shifts, or a manager preparing for a tense Monday morning meeting the emotional pattern is similar: a sense of dread, racing thoughts, and a struggle to stay grounded in the last hours of your weekend.

How ACT Therapy Can Help

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based behavioral therapy that focuses not on eliminating difficult feelings, but on changing our relationship to them. ACT helps people live a meaningful life while accepting the presence of unpleasant thoughts or emotions.

Here’s how ACT can help with the Sunday Scaries:

1. Acceptance Over Avoidance

Instead of trying to push away anxious Sunday thoughts (which often makes them stronger), ACT encourages you to make space for them. You might say: "I notice I’m feeling anxious right now. That’s okay. I can feel this and still take care of myself."

This shift from avoidance to acceptance reduces the power anxiety has over you.

2. Defusion Techniques

ACT uses defusion to help you detach from unhelpful thoughts. For example, if you're thinking, “I’m going to fail at everything this week,” ACT teaches you to see it as just that — a thought, not a fact.

You might reframe it as: “I’m having the thought that I’m going to fail.” This small change can create distance and reduce the emotional impact.

3. Mindfulness in the Moment

Practicing mindfulness helps you ground yourself in the present rather than getting lost in future worries. Try this simple grounding exercise when the Sunday Scaries hit:

• Name 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can touch

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste

This reorients your attention to the now — not the stress-filled future.

4. Clarifying Your Values

ACT encourages you to identify your core values and take actions that align with them. Even if Sunday night feels heavy, ask yourself:

“What kind of person do I want to be right now?”

Maybe it’s being present with family, taking care of your body, or preparing your week with compassion rather than fear.

This helps reframe Sunday not as a source of dread, but as a chance to live your values in action.

5. Committed Action

Rather than letting fear dictate your choices, ACT helps you take committed action in the service of your values. This might look like:

• Turning off email and focusing on self-care

• Preparing a calm Monday morning routine

• Journaling about your intentions for the week

By acting with intention, you shift from reactivity to empowered living.

Final Thoughts

The Sunday Scaries don’t have to ruin your weekend. With ACT, you can learn to face those feelings with openness, awareness, and compassion — and choose to live according to your values, no matter what thoughts come your way.

Remember: you don’t need to wait for anxiety to disappear to move forward. ACT teaches us that you can feel uncomfortable and still take meaningful steps toward a fulfilling life.

Our ACT therapists are Laura (WA), Darlene (NV), and Kerry (WA, NV, and CO)

Request an intake or free consultation to learn more about how we can help you overcome low self-worth and begin building the life you want.