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Tamara Doerksen

Rethinking the Sunday Scaries

Published 27 days ago • 1 min read

Maybe it's not about dreading Monday

You’ve probably felt it — that quiet unease that creeps in on Sunday evening. We call it the Sunday Scaries, and it’s usually blamed on anxiety about the work week ahead.

But here’s the thing: I love my work.
The people, the purpose, the energy — it fills me up.
So why does that feeling still arrive every Sunday night?

The other day, my daughter said:

“Maybe it’s not about work… maybe it’s about not having time for the other things you love.”

That hit me in the heart.

Maybe the Sunday Scaries aren’t fear.
Maybe they’re longing.
A tug from the parts of us that feel quietly shelved when Monday morning returns.
The book you meant to write.
The garden you want to tend.
The cause that won’t stop whispering to you.

And maybe that ache is a gift — a reminder to make space, even just a little, for those callings.

A Gentle Mindfulness Practice

If you feel that tug tonight (or any night), try this:

  1. Sit quietly for 2 minutes, eyes closed or softly focused.
  2. Place your hand on your heart. Ask yourself gently:
    ​“What part of me is asking to be seen?”
  3. Breathe in that awareness — without judgment, without fixing. Just notice.

Optional Journal Prompt

What part of you feels quieted when the workweek begins — and how might you honour it in a small, loving way this week?

If this sparked something for you, I’d love to know what it unearthed.

Holding space for the quiet tugs,
Tamara

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20 Allister Avenue, Toronto, ON M1M3K9
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Tamara Doerksen

I'm here for the big-hearted dreamers carving out wildly multi-passionate lives. As co-host of the Rooted in Purpose podcast and a Purpose Guide, I share inspiring stories, real talk, and practical tools to help you build a career that fits all of you.

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