On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Beating the Sunday Night Blues

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Beating the Sunday Night Blues When I was a kid, I hated Sunday evenings. I'm sure I wasn't alone -- I think kids throughout the ages have hated Sunday night because it means doing homework and going to bed early because it's a school night. Kids know that on Monday they face another week of teachers, tests and more homework.As an adult, I still get a sort of melancholy feeling when the sun begins to set on Sunday. The weekend is coming to an end, I'm nagging my kids to do their homework, and I think about the new week that will be full of challenges and problems in my professional and personal life.And, again, I know I'm not alone in this feeling. My doctor once admitted to me that he always has to take a sleep aid on Sunday nights because he can't stop thinking about everything he will face at work on Monday. Another colleague told me that she becomes so blue on Sunday afternoons that she plays Billie Holiday and drinks several glasses of wine.I'm not advocating pills or booze to get you through the Sunday night blues, but I do think there's got to be a better way to cope with it all. While it's a good sign that you need to be looking for another job when you start to get depressed on Saturday (been there, done that), I think most of us go through some letdown on Sunday.Wouldn't it be great if we didn't let our jobs take away from our weekends? If we found some ways to make Sunday evenings special instead of depressing?I asked some people what they did to get through the Sunday night blues, and many didn't have an answer. But a few people had some good ideas, and I wanted to share them with you:* Game night. A friend said she gets her kids to do their homework early so that after supper they have a couple hours of play time as a family. She said that keeps everyone occupied with fun instead of contemplating a new week of work or school.* Books and bubbles. A co-worker told me that she always indulges in a good book and a warm bubble bath on Sunday evenings.* Play hard. A neighbor told me t hat the key to dealing with his stress on Sunday evening is to get together with some friends and play basketball at a local rec center. He said the physical exertion helped him sleep better.If you have anything you do to deal with the Sunday blues, I'd love to hear from you and share them with others.del.icio.us