Sunday night blues: what can you do about it?

Sunday night blues, the syndrome that knocks on every door

(Strength and honor to the workers behind the scenes, we won’t forget you).

Lundidredi (a contraction of 124 hours) is a very long day. Interminable when you’re listening to the RTL morning news and waiting for a providential announcement like “the government is extending weekends for an infinite period”. Imagination is a little scoundrel, because we all know it’s never going to happen, but hope springs to life, dear friends.

On Sunday evenings, it’s not the butterfly effect, it’s the Birdy effect. This icon of the singing world has a great body and a marvellous voice. But when it comes to her repertoire, it’s all melancholy, soft toffee that you can chew on, snuggled up against your pillow on the verge of depression. No wonder you end up with a Sunday Night Blues on your hands! So how do you make the most of your Sunday evening without getting stuck in torpor, like one of Rodin’s thinkers defying the laws of time and gravity?

In future, your Sundays will never be sad again

It’s no good being defeatist. So, to avoid the “oh well, I don’t like Sundays” trap, we start by getting into the mood, with a nice little warm-up on Friday: aperitif, restaurant, quiet evening or something a little edgier… Carpe Diem they said!

Crazy brunches and breakfasts

The weekend is a time for pleasure. No hurry, no stress. So why not go for brunch in a carefully chosen spot? Option two: prepare a mega-gourmet breakfast and a chicory infusion! It’s a nice change from the sacrosanct week punctuated by alarm clocks and sticky eyelids (we all know the story of the toast that’s not even toasted, or the Kinder Bueno at the coffee machine).

Take a walk/get away to recharge your batteries

Spending time outdoors? An activity that allows you to focus your attention on something positive. OK, Sundays in the sun are great, but sometimes they can be a bit dodgy. So, if it rains, you can always put on your super Quechua boots and start listening to a podcast about Amazonian frog reproduction. Or pick up your fruit and vegetables at the market. In fact, there’s nothing to stop you going green, to a little town renowned for its lace museum and truffled sausages.

Leave your professional life to the “weekendinales”.

Lots of people love to talk about their work and tell you fascinating stories. It’s great, they like it, it fills you with joy. But it always comes at the wrong time. At the same time, there are those who talk about their work AND check their professional e-mail. Snow, wind, Saturday, your sister’s wedding or even Candlemas. It’s niet, nein, no. Please don’t become a weekend workaholic. Set yourself some limits and stick to them.

Weekends: a concept based on productivity

Netflix subscriptions: a question of profitability

Soon we won’t even be able to share our passwords for free, so we might as well go all out and binge-watch our favorite TV series and romantic comedies. As we know the 130th episode of Friends by heart, we can always sort out our underwear (only to realize that some still have an anti-theft device and that we’re looking pretty smart), tidy up our bookshelves and find the first Harry Potter book of yesteryear. It smells clean, it feels fresh. All that’s left is to hum “Y’a d’la joie, bonjour bonjour les hirondelles” to make everything perfect.

Mindfulness and yoga (open to beginners)

Mindfulness and yoga will enable you to live fully in the present moment (rather than racking your brains thinking about the RER B timetable, or that colleague who brings home a salmon-maroilles Tupperware every lunchtime). By scanning your body, your emotions, your sensations and all those wonderful things brought about by the Big Bang, you let your thoughts flow, while enjoying a well-deserved moment of plenitude.

The future belongs to those who get up early (and like a good deal).

No two weekends are ever the same. The good thing is that you can play at being a groundhog or a wild animal on the prowl (a lynx, supple, powerful, mysterious. Pretty cool lynx). And let’s face it: cycling or aquagym classes are something else on weekends. You’ve got the pool all to yourself, and no one on the bike seat to steal your thunder. You’ll be able to give your trainer a hard time and sweat 3 times as much.

Come out of your cave and maintain a form of social link

Attention hermit crabs: it’s time to create some feel-good rituals! A candlelit dinner or a pizza devoured before the movie. 8 p.m. sharp and the traditional Scrabble that will leave you with a memorable souvenir the next day. This moment is so precious that it’s indispensable. A secret garden, shared with those around you whom you cherish. Bingo! You’ll be looking forward to your Sunday evening.

Wiping Monday morning off the world map is null and void, we’re not going to change the course of history, sorry. Appreciate ALL of life’s moments for what they’re worth, not just Sundays. Over time, you’ll get the hang of those untimely blues and what you can do to feel more serene. Believe us, it’s just a short step from TGIF (thanks God it’s Friday) to TGIM (thanks God it’s Monday).