There is quite literally a term for everything. It was only a few years ago when I learned that the dread employees feel on Sunday goes by a few slick terms:
#SundayScaries, #Smonday, #Sunxiety, and #SundayBlues, to name a few. It's so bad that not only is there a list of names, but also mugs, a Podcast, and thousands of hilarious and relatable memes.
I get it!
"Sunxiety" short for (Sunday Anxiety) is more than not wanting to leave the comfort of home and your personal life. It can be a symptom of a stressful work environment, a toxic boss or coworkers, an overwhelming workload or the pressures of responsibility. A little blues now and then is normal, but it's a real problem when it becomes a weekly occurrence that continues over time.
Here's a secret: As a CEO, I occasionally get the Scaries too.
And I'm not alone.
This Sunday, March 22nd, 2020—is different. With the COVID-19 crisis barring down on us all, and the uncertainty of our economy and business that looms around us, everything feels different. Am I anxious? Yes. Am I scared? Absolutely. But as a leader of a small to medium business with 200 employees globally between the USA and India, I have the immense pressure to ensure that we can survive through this crisis with limited resources. Right now, I'm focused on providing our folks certainty of jobs despite the uncertainty all around us.
Nowadays the "Sunday Scaries" are less of a feeling and more of a reality.
This Sunday as I got the feeling of Sunxiety, I began to think of my team and how much I love them. How much I care about them and their families and the beautiful lives that working affords them. When I thought about the people that make Softway what it is, I snapped out of my spiral towards the Sunday Scaries. The thought of my people motivated me to get back to work and be a better leader than I was last week.
I genuinely believe we can all work in positive, loving, and human-focused work environments where Sunday Scaries are few and far between. I know from experience that it's possible. But it requires honesty, patience, forgiveness, self-awareness, a commitment to change our behaviors, but most importantly, the love we have for each other.
In this time of crisis, we must do what we can to rise above the fear of the unknown—the fear of what Monday and breaking news bring our way—to do what's right for our people and teams.
