Affair on Mondays is a common feeling among thousands of professionals. It is a feeling, however, that many begin to experiment even before that day arrives, and that can end up ruining their weekends. It is what has been called “Sunday Scaries” (Sunday fears), and reflects the anxiety and stress that labor routine causes in many employees. Such is its impact that already constitutes a reason for resignation at work.

This is indicated by a recent investigation carried out by the work portal summarizes. Among 1,000 United States professionals about their experience with the anxiety of Sunday. The objective has been to understand how often they feel it, what triggers it and if it has influenced its mental health or its professional decisions.

One of the main conclusions is that 11% American professionals experience the so -called “Sunday scaries” every week, compared to 18.6% who do almost every Sunday. Only 13% say never to suffer this form of anxiety.
The main causes are the workload and the deadlines (33%), the exhaustion (23.6%) and the unrealistic expectations (15.7%).

Beyond the well -being of the employees themselves -42% claim that their work negatively affects their mental health -the situation finds a negative impact on the rotation and retention of talent in companies. And more than one in three professionals have considered leaving their job due to Sunday anxiety, and 11.7% have already done so.
In spite of everything, many have normalized the “Sunday scaries”: 34% consider that Sunday stress is part of working life, regardless of the position and the employer.

The gene generation and Sunday anxiety

However, Sunday’s anxiety is perceived different depending on sex and age. Men are slightly more likely to report this type of anxiety than women (14.6 % compared to 11 %), and also differ in the fundamental causes that cause it. Both sexes coincide in pointing out the workload and delivery deadlines at the head of the list, but women are more inclined to attribute it to exhaustion and professional wear, while men do it to the next meetings.
In addition, more than 40% of women normalize Sunday stress, compared to 29% of men.

In this regard, generation Z seems to be giving up a culture change. 18% of the professionals of this group claim to experience “Sunday scaries” every week. In addition, 15.6% say that anxiety appears as soon as the weekend begins, compared to 7% of generation X and 2% of Baby Boomers.

Consequently, 46% have considered leaving their job, and 20% have already done so. They are also more likely than other generations to point out that work negatively affects their mental health.
However, only 34 % believe that Sunday stress is part of working life, compared to almost half (48.5 %) of Baby Boomers.

On the other hand, initial level workers also incline more to affirm that they experience Sunday’s anxiety. Almost 20% claim to suffer from it every Sunday, and almost 13% point out to start feeling it on Saturday.

The results of the survey imply a new sample of the importance that new generations of professionals give to mental health, an issue that prioritize even above labor stability or economic conditions. It has become an element not only capable of affecting productivity, but also the employee branding of companies and even their performance in terms of results.

Companies must be aware of this and address the problem from different angles. Among them, offer flexibility through the option of teleworking or broad schedules, and foster a more human and empathic corporate cultural. In addition, many companies have earned awareness and are working to make mental health part of well -being policies, investing in resources to support their employees.