The “Friday Feeling” vs. Sunday Dread – How to Stop Just Surviving Work

Thursday night. Relief is creeping in. Friday morning. You feel lighter, even if it’s busy.

Now compare that to… Sunday evening. That familiar weight in your chest. Monday morning. Exhausted before the day even begins.

We joke about it. We accept it. We’ve been conditioned to believe that work isn’t supposed to feel good, because that’s why it’s called work.

But just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s okay.

If you’ve been stuck in this cycle for years, I see you. And I know that when you’re deep in it, when your body is locked in fight, flight, or freeze, it’s not as simple as “setting boundaries” or “finding the good.”

Because when you’re in survival mode, you can’t think your way out of it. You have to regulate your body first.

So before we talk about change, let’s talk about getting your body back online.

Step One: Regulate Before You React

When you’re deep in stress, your nervous system is running the show.

• Fight: Everything annoys you, you feel defensive, your body is tense.
• Flight: You avoid, keep scrolling, distract yourself with work or social media.
• Freeze: You shut down, feel numb, like you can’t move forward.

If you recognise yourself in this, your body needs to feel safe before you can take action.

What helps regulate the nervous system?

• Breath → Try the 4-7-8 breath (inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8)
• Movement → Shake out your arms, stretch, go for a slow walk
• Sound → Hum, sigh, or play calming music
• Touch → Place your hands on your heart or belly and take a deep breath

Even one minute of regulation can shift your state enough to start making different choices.

Step Two: Respond From a Place of Love, Not Fear

Once you’ve regulated your body, ask yourself:

• What’s the most loving thing I can do for myself right now?
• If I didn’t feel trapped, what’s one small shift I’d make today?
• What’s the smallest action that would give me even 1% more ease in my workday?

Your body will tell you what you need, but only once it feels safe enough.

Step Three: Start Creating Your Next Chapter (Without Panic Quitting)

Now that your nervous system is calmer, the next step is choosing one gentle shift toward something better.

Not a huge, life-changing leap. Not an all-or-nothing decision. Just one step that moves you out of survival and into possibility.

That might look like:

• Asking for support (even if it’s just venting to a trusted friend)
• Setting a tiny boundary (closing your laptop for lunch, saying “I’ll get back to you” instead of yes)
• Exploring new career paths (without pressure to figure it all out today)

You don’t have to burn it all down to start feeling better.

You just have to stop waiting for relief to come on Friday, and start creating a little bit of it, today.

Final Thought

If the Friday Feeling is the only time you feel like yourself, something is out of alignment.

You weren’t put on this earth to live for the weekend.

You’re allowed to want more. You’re allowed to create more.

And if you don’t know where to start, this is the work I do, helping people escape the cycle of Sunday dread, without panic-quitting, burning out, or staying stuck for years.

Tell me, how does Thursday night vs. Sunday night feel for you right now?