Monday heebie-jeebies and how to stop them

[LaLoose]

Hello All,

I'm after some advice please. I've noticed I'm very anxious - debilitatingly so - on Monday mornings, to the extent that I avoid scheduling any meetings on Mondays any more.

Does anyone else have this? I'd be interested to know, please.

And, if you did have it, have you managed to overcome it? How?

I've decided I'd like to take some positive action to stop it, so any advice would be very, VERY gratefully received. Thanks.

Thanks for answering.

No, I'm self-employed and so it's not even a particularly taxing time. I think it's the fact of it, if that makes sense, rather than anything tangible.

Do you drink over the weekend? This is not an uncommon issue if you’re drinking too much. Obviously, cutting out the drinking would help.

Beyond that, one thing I found was getting organised for the week on Friday. So putting together a to-do list and key actions for the week. And then schedule something really manageable for Monday morning that you can do easily and feel good about ticking off the list.

Yes, I do drink over the weekend. Drat! So I guess that's an easy fix. (I was hoping for CBT methods rather than a wine ban though.)

No, I don't think so, but I don't drink at all in the week, only at weekends, so I guess that's the solution. Darn it.

I do a few things on Sunday, to help with this. I realised that trying hard not to think about work on the weekend or on holiday made it worse on the first day back so now, I prepare and I think it helps feel more in control.

• check my work email - know there is nothing lurking in there that will ambush me
• check work calendar - know what's coming up and that I am prepared
• make a rough meal plan for the week so I don't collapse and order a takeaway
• check the weather so I know vaguely what I'm going to wear (I have never managed to be organised enough to lay out my outfit the night before, but this would be even better)
• do a "brain dump" into a notebook so I just get it all out of my head and onto paper

Do you sleep ok on Sunday nights?

Oo I like the notebook brain dump approach - that might prevent the 4am staring at the ceiling with my mind whirring thing. Thank you.

I think cutting out/down the weekend drinking and making sure you're sleeping/eating well over the weekend would massively help.

How old are you? I think you can get away with weekends like this until about 40 and then all of a sudden the effects start lingering into Monday!

No I always wake up worrying

About a bottle and a half of wine over 3 days - Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Yes I'm afraid I'm slightly north of that and probably pretending I'm still youthful!

Ah sounds like some sleep hygiene will be helpful- in addition to the brain dump, try not drinking on Sunday, avoid screens for an hour before bed, no caffeine after noon, also try taking a tablet of magnesium glycinate before bed! It seems to keep me asleep through that 4am wake up.

Oh thank you! I'm going to buy some magnesium glycinate. Thanks all - I guess it's easy to see how I can improve things and I needed the outside perspective. I think it's quite easy to continue as you have always been, without recognising changing circumstances.

This menopause lark is no fun.

what do you generally do over the weekend? exercise? fresh air? socialise?

I drink only on a Saturday, have stopped doing it on a Sunday and spend the day getting lots of fresh air, making sure I'm organised for the week, cooking a good dinner and having an early night after a film or good box set for some escapism. I have suffered the Sunday scaries for years and the past few months following the above has really helped. Before I thought ignoring it with a couple of wines was the answer but it never helped!