Sunday Evening Stress? Teachers’ Tips For Beating Back-To-Work Blues

It’s late Sunday afternoon, it feels like you’ve only just had a chance to sit down. You were meant to relax yesterday but that marking you had took longer than expected.

Plus, there were errands to run, housework to do. It’ll be time for dinner soon, then what? It’s the evening. Sunday evening. The weekend is practically over. It’s like you’re back at work already.

You didn’t do half the things you wanted to, let alone recharge your batteries. What are your choices? Admit defeat? Go to bed now and give up any scraps of free time you might have had tonight? Or stay up late catching up on that book/box set or god forbid you actually get to spend time with loved ones.

This sort of scenario isn’t exclusive to teachers (except for the marking), but of course the more stressful the job the more likely a bout of weekend worrying is to hit. And the worst part is that there’s a sense of guilt to it too. How can teaching these children cause this much stress and anxiety?

Well, that’s not the point. For most teachers that’s what keeps them in the profession. The stress is in spite of the children. And does it mean you hate your job? No. Although anyone who does hate their job will probably also feel a strong desire for a magic bank holiday to appear on tomorrow’s calendar. Remember, you’re not alone.

So, what can you do? Obviously no tip will work for everyone, but there are things you can try to see what works.

Share your ideas on our Facebook page or our Tweet of this post, and we’ll add the best to this list.

Switch Saturday with Sunday

Do you suggest your students do their homework first thing rather than leave it until the last minute? Apply that same advice. If you’re someone who tends to put off things you have to do until Sunday, after you’ve done things you want to do on the Saturday (if, that is, you don’t have so many things to do for school that both days are taken up with things you have to do), try swapping that around.

Be like The Bangles, who in their hit, Manic Monday, designated Sunday as both their ‘fun day’ and their ‘I don’t have to run day’.

Play the blues

Just being aware of the creeping presence of work-related anxiety can help. Joyce Marter, LCPC, suggests not sweating the small stuff in order to keep your mood in check: “Perhaps this isn’t the time to engage in silly arguments that have less to do with the content and more to do with your angst about work….Be a duck – let those things roll off your back to decrease negativity and save yourself some energy.”

Quick cognitive behavioural therapy

For those who are unfamiliar, CBT helps people development of personal coping strategies to change unhelpful patterns in thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It sounds obvious, but a basic thing to do is ask yourself if the thing you’re worried about is really likely to happen, as therapist Simon Rego explained to health.com:

“A lot of times with anxiety, we’re not always dealing with realistic thoughts. We can create worst-case scenarios in our head that we then believe are true, even though they are not. Don’t give these anxious thoughts a free ride. Every time you catch yourself thinking them, stop yourself and think, is this something that would really happen or has ever really happened in the past?”

Don’t work, work out

Easier said than done, perhaps, but try to avoid the temptation to get work done in order to ease the burden of the week ahead.

Exercise, however, has numerous physical and mental benefits, and it’s a great excuse to indulge in something relaxing to end the weekend on a soothing note, whether it’s yoga, reading or taking a bath.

Bonus: Office Space

This probably won’t come recommended in any psychology textbook but Mike Judge’s satirical take on the workplace is both hilarious and cathartic. It’ll help cure Sunday-night blues, or any kind of blues for that matter.