Sunday Scaries - Issue #1

According to a LinkedIn survey, 80 percent of professionals say they experience the Sunday Scaries, with over 90 percent of Millennials and Gen Z reporting they feel it.

Now if there are that many people experiencing this negative feeling about work, we should talk about it, yeah? I'm not an expert but maybe a few meme's, GIFs, and stories on a Sunday night will help ease those scaries.

And maybe they won't but hey, at least I tried.

My first ever Sunday scary

I was about 19 and starting a new job in a mail room which didn't really give me the scaries. If you've ever worked in a mail room or in a company with one, you'll know it's one of the cruisiest jobs going around.

For the younger readers, a mail room is where posted letters (imagine emails but printed and sent via Australia post for 45 cents each) are sorted and then delivered.

What gave me the scaries was the dress code; "smart casual". I'm 19 remember, the only dress codes I knew were "pub" or "club", so I had NFI what smart casual was.

I borrowed some money from my sister and went shopping, got some nice new jeans, sneakers, jackets etc. Thought I looked both casual and smart.

First day comes around and the rest of the mail room was dressed more corporately but they also had an average age of about 54, so I figured that was still smart casual just for old people.

By day 3, my manager pulls me aside and says "hey I think you look great, but if you could dress a bit more corporate please. Pants, shirt, tie is optional".

No issue, I already had those clothes from my last job but lord why didn't they just give me that instruction from the start?

I reckon at every wedding I've been to there's a dress code given on the invites. Then from the time of receiving the invite to a week before the wedding, the guests spend that time texting each other "what are you wearing?" "What does cocktail mean?" "WTF is relaxed formal beach wear? Do I put a bow tie on with my crocs?"

We are giving each other the scaries with these mysterious riddles. Why not change your dress code to be examples like:

Jeans ?

Jean shorts with visible butt cheek ?

Fedora's ?

Hilary Clinton Pant Suit ?

What helps your scaries?

I could fire up the ChatGPT and ask for the top 10 tips on easing your Sunday scaries but it would be all the same old stuff. Meditate, gratitude, hydrate, plan your week, blah blah blah helpful sensical things blah blah.

Here are my top tips for reducing the SS'ies's:

1. Try not to go on a 3-day bender every weekend
2. No TikTok after midday on Sunday
3. If you do make a visit to one of the major fast food outlets, keep the calorie consumption under 3,000. I won't name names but there's a certain fried chicken outlet that sends me into lethargy for 3-4 days.
4. Don't speak to any of your friends with good jobs at good companies on Sunday. You don't need them rubbing your face in their happiness.
5. Wash your drink bottle. I know you know who you are. It hasn't been washed in weeks, maybe months? Give it a soak and a scrub, get out the high-pressure hose if you have to.

That's Issue #1 done, thank you for reading. The 4 of you are great people.