I used to really dislike the phrase “Sunday scaries,” because it conjures up images of monsters waiting under the bed, or a hideous feeling of being out of control. It’s like the week is so bad, we allow ourselves to be paralyzed with anxiety about what’s coming. Shouldn’t we, as adults, be able to handle those feelings? Or at least our schedules, or the things causing the “scaries?”
But, whatever. The phrase itself is kind of dumb, but I get the sentiment. The experiences of this strange year have also made me care less about what I can and cannot control - or what other people can or cannot control.
The Sunday scaries have taken on a whole new meaning for many people this year, as some dread each day that passes and brings the first of the month and a possible eviction closer. Or, Monday is the renewed job search, or the juggle to work from home and provide activities for the kids at the same time. So, yes. The scaries are real.
I wrote an article about this a year ago called 4 Steps to a Better Sunday, which I was thinking about today. The four steps for a better Sunday that I lay out are to make extra time for prayer, enjoy wholesome Sunday-appropriate content, practice hospitality, and do something for someone else.
These days, practicing hospitality is a little more difficult, even if you have a nice, open back yard. And the last thing you may want to do is watch any more TV or listen to any more podcasts after these months of quarantine. But I do still think prayer and doing for others are incredibly important right now for mental health, and fighting those scaries.
Prayer, because it centers you and connects you to God. It reminds you of your place in the universe and the unbreakable bond you have with God, who is always present for you. It provides a place and a way to put your concerns into His hands, and know that He has them. Perhaps start with the Our Lady, Undoer of Knots prayer.
Doing for others: this is always the best way to get out of a funk. Give someone a call, make a donation online, drop off food or clothes at a shelter, ask your church and your favorite charities what they need. Reach out, outside of yourself.
I will also add that I think walking and prayer are extremely compatible. Remember that you can offer just about anything up to God, including, for example, a strenuous hike or the mid-day heat. Let your movement be fused with prayer.
For me, today I will be writing a few letters. There are birthdays and babies coming (a good reminder that life goes on, even in a pandemic). Letter-writing is personally therapeutic for me, and I see it as an act of service to the other, as well, and a perfect way to both be creative and reach outside oneself. I may still feel a little of that dread unique to 2020 - what will this week bring us? - but I have, at the very least, tended to my own little corner of the world, and I suppose that is the most we can ask of ourselves this year.
