In 2026, Merriam-Webster added “Sunday scaries” to the dictionary—it’s a funny and relatable term for anticipatory anxiety, a feeling of dread leading up to an event before it happens. If you’re feeling anxious about the week ahead, we’ve got a few ideas to help you relax, recharge, and reduce stress leading up to the coming week.

Move your body

Going for a walk or doing a low-intensity workout can help you balance your body’s level of cortisol, a stress hormone that regulates your body’s natural fight-or-flight stress responses. If you’re not feeling up to doing anything outdoors or at a gym, try stretching at home to focus on mindfulness and reduce physical tension. 

Clean up your home (but take breaks!)

Sunday is the perfect day to meal prep, clean the house, take the trash out, do laundry…the list of things to do can truly feel endless. Chores can feel exhausting and never-ending if you do them one after another, so time-box them and give yourself breaks throughout the day to do something fun. 

One tip as you’re taking care of chores: Clearing cluttered surfaces and putting items away is a great way to bring calm into your environment. It’s a small tweak that can really make your place feel cozy and serene.

Get out of your head: write down your to-dos and worries

As you think about the week ahead, it’s natural to anticipate what might come up and what you might have forgotten to take care of over the past week. Instead of replaying your stressors or to-dos over and over in your head, break the cycle by writing them down in your phone’s Notes app or on a piece of paper. 

If writing it down isn’t working, try scheduling “worry time” for yourself in the early evening. It might sound silly to say “I’ll worry about this at 3 PM,” but it’s actually based on cognitive behavioral therapy strategies: scheduling your worries and going through them all at once lets you control your anxious thoughts rather than suppressing or replaying them throughout the day. And, funnily enough, it feels like something to look forward to.

Give yourself a wind-down to look forward to

It’s amazing what lighting a candle or turning on a feel-good show can do to put you in a restful mood, especially in a clean and organized house. Having a weekly ritual you’re excited about can help you add a little certainty and joy into every Sunday evening.

As you start to wind down for the evening, avoid alcohol and late-night caffeine—try swapping them for mint tea instead. If it doesn’t feel doable to avoid screens altogether before bed, try to reduce your screen time for an hour leading up to bedtime. 

Wrapping up

A Sunday reset can go a long way to set you up for a productive and positive week. Be kind to yourself and take breaks when you need them.