Teachers – How to manage the anxiety of the ‘Sunday Night Dread!’

‘Living for the weekend’ is a phrase so often and too often used by teachers all across the country and whilst it can be quite a humorous statement to make in the thick of a stressful teaching week, it can often mean that our minds become fragmented as we are more focused on the future and not on the present; along with feeling really low when the weekend inevitably ends.

Myself and two other teachers run a page called ‘Teacher Breathing Space Ireland’ and every day we post lots of fun images and pictures, quotes and inspiring messages for teachers but when it comes to Sunday, it is always the same thing; we find ourselves posting about how to try and enjoy your Sunday, how to be present and not let your mind jump into the anxiety of Monday morning!

This is always met with feelings of the ‘Sunday Night Dread’ as this is generally what most teachers around the country, indeed the world are feeling about Monday.   Once we get into Monday, we generally seem to do okay and we just get on with the week but there are two things that genuinely do not sit right about that; firstly, Monday seems to be ‘swallowing’ our lovely Sundays whole as such! Secondly, beginning the week having spent Sunday feeling anxious about Monday is not a way to begin the week that instills feelings of well-being or peace of mind.

Okay so Friday comes and we are happy aren’t we? As teachers, we hop, skip and jump into school knowing the weekend has arrived. Lots of teachers will say that their battery or well of energy feels more full come Friday morning. Friday night, our body and mind relax as we know Monday is far away in the distance and we have two whole days to enjoy. Saturday comes and we may still feel relaxed; it still feels like the weekend right?! Then Sunday morning arrives; we know we SHOULD relax but we can’t seem to do that… why? Because we are no longer ‘safe’ in Friday or Saturday; Sunday has dawned and this new day means the end of the weekend!

Lots of teachers say that they don’t feel Sunday is even a day off as their mind becomes so anxious about everything that they should have done all weekend; the copies they took home in a bag that are still sitting in the back of the car uncorrected; the promises that they made to themselves on Friday about evaluating those projects or completing those cuntas míosúils or plans so Sunday arrives and yes we all know as teachers what happens then; the GUILT! Those copies in the back of the car screaming at you from outside, begging to be acknowledged.

The constant and incessant inner battle of the teacher’s mind come the weekend:

‘The weekend should be my time to rest, relax and play’ VS. ‘I have so much schoolwork to catch up on and I will use this weekend to get it done!’

And so the battle carries on in our minds and by Sunday night, it may even be the case that we have neither rested for the day, nor have we touched the copies or plans. So we face Monday having accomplished neither the former or the latter.

So what can we do? Here are a few simple tips to keep in mind about your weekend from now on that may help in reducing that Sunday anxiety:

• When it comes to your planning, correcting or any of your paperwork, it’s a good idea to look at your week and decide on a specific time in the week when you will do this. So, block it off in your diary as an appointment with yourself to do this work. That way it is an allocated time in the week when you do it and not just a vague plan in your head that never happens. You wouldn’t easily cancel an appointment with the dentist or doctor so try to keep this appointment with yourself. Make sure to reward your efforts when you are finished; watching your favourite programme, a long soak in the bath, tea and chocolate… whatever takes your fancy!
• If this schoolwork is being done over the weekend, apply the same thinking; make an appointment with yourself at a certain time over the weekend to do it. If you can, do this on a Friday or a Saturday as procrastination into Sunday can lead to the cycle of guilt mentioned above.
• When you are correcting or planning, try as best you can to stay focused on the task and not check Facebook or text a friend. Stay focused for 15-20 minutes at a time and take breaks to stretch and walk around.
• On Friday before you leave school, be realistic about what you do bring home with you. Resting and playing are AS important for your well-being as the being productive in your teaching, so your weekend is an important time for recharging the batteries. Try not to overstretch yourself in terms of promises you make to yourself; you won’t get everything done if you plan on enjoying yourself too…which you do need to do!
• If you had time on Friday afternoon, go grab a cuppa and a snack when the children leave and stay in to correct some copies or get some of the work done in school before you go home. Even a half an hour in that environment focused on your work will be more productive than when you break that cycle of work when you leave the building.
• When it comes to Sunday, have at least one thing nice planned that involves resting or playing. This way, you are acknowledging that it is still the weekend. Try your best to bring your mind back to what’s in front of you if you find it wandering into Monday! Notice your feet. Notice your surroundings. Maybe reassure yourself and remind yourself that it is still in fact the weekend.
• Try to have something nice planned for during the week for yourself; a couple of nice treats dotted in the week. Coffee with a friend after school, a nice yoga or fitness class you enjoy or some lovely food you will enjoy cooking followed by your favourite programme.

The weekend is definitely our time for resting and playing of course; be it with your children or a night out or simply chilling out. We need this time to rejuvenate mind and body. At the same time, ‘living for the weekend’ is no way to live either. There can be lots of great things to enjoy during the week too so changing our perspective on that, along with giving ourselves permission to enjoy the weekend fully will definitely ease the anxiety of the ‘Sunday Night Dread!’