When formed with purpose, Sunday night can become a sanctuary. The practice of preparing for the week ahead can improve the quality of the weekday work itself. The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once described these evenings as “the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week.” But what should be an evening of anticipated freedom and rejuvenation often leaves many bummed out about life’s recurring responsibilities. The “Sunday night blues” may sound like a quaint colloquialism, but it’s actually the nickname for a real condition brought on by anxiety concerning the forthcoming weekdays. A study by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden determined that Sunday evening is the unhappiest time of the week, with Monday morning coming in a close second. You may treat this time like any other, but isolating a few hours to focus on the week ahead can paint a potentially bluish This story is from Kinfolk Issue Fifteen Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 45 The Whole Story The power of cradle-to-grave novels. Arts & Culture Issue 43 Signal Boost How status anxiety drives culture. Arts & Culture Issue 41 Mixed Emoji Is a picture worth a thousand words? Arts & Culture Issue 38 Social Work Hettie O’Brien considers the cost of never logging off. Arts & Culture Issue 38 Memes of Communication A conversation about digital folklore. Arts & Culture Issue 36 Designated Drudgery How to take a load off.
