The beginning of the week can be scary. As you look at the week ahead of you, it can be stressful and quite terrifying. The Canvas calendar and dashboard is often full of assignments and projects, which can only makes your nights longer and anxiety higher.

Navigating the list of tasks can be dreadful. Here are some helpful ways to stop those scary feelings in their tracks:

1. Rearrange your schedule- A way to reduce the stress is to be proactive about it. You are always in control of   how you go about your week. The week doesn’t have to be awful, and a way to reduce your stress can include moving meetings or rescheduling. This is the perfect way to head into the week, and then if you find yourself not as stressed, you can make those meetings or events after all.

2.Try your best to remain in the present – Thinking about the future ahead of you can oftentimes be exciting, but when you are looking at your calendar on a Sunday night, maybe you should not be thinking about your early Monday morning. Remaining in the present helps to keep you grounded and prevents you from falling into the downward spiral of stress.

3. Fix your mindset – Before you begin a new week, try finding a mantra that you can say any time you feel yourself disassociating. Positive affirmations, or mantras, that tend to help people the most include “I am doing my best”, “I will not worry about things I cannot control” and “I have the power to create the life I desire”. Repeating these not only convinces your mind that these are in fact true, it alleviates the stress and panic you may be feeling in the current moment.

4. Treat yourself – Do one thing a day that puts a smile on your face, and that one thing is completely up to you. You don’t have to explain to anyone, you just have to do it because you DESERVE it. Whether that’s a six dollar coffee, or sitting in bed with all the lights off watching your favorite movie, you got to do what you!

At the end of the day, the “Sunday Scaries” is simply a term created by society to define the pressure and stress you are about to face in the week ahead of you. But with these tips, you should be able to tackle the stress head on. Remember, the Counseling Department is here to help YOU, and have a copious amount of resources for all students & staff.