Sunday Night Blues

You know that dreaded Monday morning feeling? After a fabulous weekend, your alarm goes off and you can barely open your eyes. You finally drag yourself out of bed and trudge through, as Office Space so eloquently put it, yet another “Case of the Mondays”

I don’t get that feeling. I never did.

Not because I love Monday mornings necessarily or that I have always looked forward to work. It’s because I’m a planner. Mondays never bothered me, but Sunday nights sure did. Just thinking about and anticipating Monday morning was enough to put me in a funk week in and week out. I never had a case of the Mondays but I sure did suffer from the Sunday night blues.

It’s the same for me with birthdays. When people panic at some milestone age, I plan ahead and panic the year before. I did this when I was 29 instead of 30. Planner. By the time I hit 30, the panic was gone. My life and my dreams lived to fight another day. 

When I was still in the 9-5 world, turning 30 was my version of Monday morning. Turning 29 was my Sunday evening. Once I actually hit 30, i.e., once Monday morning hit, I was fine. But Sunday nights- Sunday nights were my 29. It was the anticipation, the dread, the thinking of the next day that brought me so much angst. Just thinking about it now tightens my stomach all over again.  

Although these feelings were unpleasant, I assumed they were quite normal. Everybody dreaded going to work. Weekends were filled with fun and friends. Work was something to be endured to get to those weekends filled with fun and friends. My friends said as much. Popular culture reinforced it. Garfield made his living on Monday morning grumbles, and cubicles across the country are adorned with posters that say things like, “May your coffee be strong and your Monday be short.” The messaging is clear: Monday / working is something to be dreaded. For a long time, I accepted it as true. And every Sunday night, I would rhapsodize the weekend that was and dread the work week that was to come. Every single week. Sunday night blues.

But after a while, I started to grow tired of the routine. That little voice inside of me started asking questions: What was the point? Could there be another way? That voice grew louder and louder with each subsequent week until finally, there was a moment when I decided to start answering those questions. Then I realized that I did not want to live that way anymore. I was tired of having the Sunday night blues. And I haven’t had them since.

Spending 70% of our week waiting for the 30% that is the weekend is both harmful and impractical. Living this way means the majority of our time is a resignation of  unhappiness. We have allowed ourselves to believe that this is just the way it is. Why, as a society have we accepted this? Or rather, why have we ignored the voice inside of us telling us that we shouldn’t accept this? Why do we do it anyway?  

These questions are only somewhat rhetorical. In a practical sense, it is simply not that easy to find a job you love and one that will pay you what you want. And going through the process to find that job to love is enough not to bother. Job processes are time-consuming and are no guarantee. Besides, how can you really know what the job will be like until you start? Isn’t it better to stay put? That whole, devil you know thing… But what if it could be different? What if there is a better way? 

These are some of the questions you should start asking yourself. Maybe you are already.

Ultimately, the meaning your job holds for you is up to you. You may not need a job you love to be happy. Or you may be content being unhappy. Or, like me, you may be fed up with spending yet another Monday (or Sunday night) dreading the workday to come. If that is the case for you, consider the following:   

What do you like about your current employment situation? What do you dislike?

At what job did you experience the most satisfaction? The least?

What does an ideal work life balance look like to you? 

What factors are most important to you in your work?

If you could design your dream job and working conditions, what would that look like?

Have you ever woken up on a Monday morning excited to get to work? If not, why not?

Is loving what you do important to you?

Are you ready to try and find a job that you truly enjoy? 

If you decide to invest in improving your job situation, there are several ways you can go about it. You can stay in your current position but take on a new set of responsibilities. Or maybe just a brand new mindset. You can stay at your current organization but find a new role or department. You can leave your job for another in your field. Or maybe you are ready to leave your field altogether. Perhaps it is time to go back to school. Or start a business. Maybe you would be happier working a couple of part-time jobs instead of one full-time job. Maybe you are ready to retire. Or…or…or…. The possibilities are endless. Almost literally. There are multiple paths to joy and the beauty is, you get to create your own.  

Of course, practical matters play a role. Money, location, schedule and commute are just some of the factors to consider. At the same time, it is important to recognize that being miserable is not a requirement of being responsible. It is possible to enjoy what you do and pay your bills on time. It may require a lot of effort and you may need to be creative in how you get there, but it is always possible. Maybe not that important to you or not worth it, but it is most certainly possible. 

What do you think? Are you happy where you are? Are you okay being unhappy? Are you ready for something different? Are you ready to get started?      

We are here to listen and support you in any way we can. Reach out  to us at: [email protected]  or 703-688-2394. 

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