In theory, the 62 hours between 6 p.m. on Friday evening and 8 a.m. on Monday morning are a blissful reprieve from the stress of the workweek. But even if you manage to leave work at work, the reality is that Sundays are often dominated by that sinking feeling that the workweek is looming.
理论上讲,周五晚上6:00到周一早上8:00,这62小时是缓解一周工作压力的美好时光。可实际上就算已在办公室完成了工作,沉重的工作感还是会在周末不时掠过心头。
The phenomenon is a real one -- 78 percent of respondents in a recent international Monster.com poll reported experiencing the so-called "Sunday Night Blues." And a whopping 47 percent said they get it "really bad." In the U.S., that number jumps to 59 percent.
这种现象千真万确——根据近期在国际Monster.com网站上的调查,78%答卷者表示有前述现象:即所谓的“周日综合症”。另有高达47%的答卷者表示自己的这种症状“非常严重”。在美国,该比率则为59%。
The Sunday Night Blues are created by a combination of realizing weekend fun is coming to an end and anticipating the beginning of five days of pressure, meaning it can strike even those who like their jobs. "Work is now spread out into home life with increasing demands because of email and the ability to work remotely," says Steven Meyers, professor of psychology at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Ill. "Work has become more of a drain for many people than it was a decade or two ago. There's more to dread nowadays."
周日综合症是多方面造成的:一方面,人们意识到快乐周末即将结束;另一方面,人们感到接下来又得面对压力重重的工作日,就算原本喜欢工作的人也受不了。“随着电子邮件和远程工作的普及,工作已经渗透到了家庭生活。”伊利诺伊州芝加哥罗斯福大学心理学教授史蒂夫-迈尔斯说道。“相对于前几十年,现如今工作对很多人来说相当耗费精力,让人心生畏惧的事情太多了。”
But a case of the blues doesn't have to derail your Sunday. Below are five expert-approved strategies for beating that end-of-weekend anxiety.
不过,绝不能因为心情郁闷而毁了整个周末。下面五个专家级策略就有助于抵抗周末焦虑症。
1.Relax and distract.
放松并转移注意力。
Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to forget about it. "Feelings of anxiety and depression are most common when the person is not particularly busy," Meyers says. "So enjoyable activities that redirect your attention are especially important. Spending time with others, doing things that you find fun, exercising [and] devoting time to hobbies are all good ways to keep busy so that dread doesn't creep into your mind."
有时解决问题最好的办法莫过于忘记它。“人们不太忙时最容易感到焦躁郁闷。”迈尔斯说,“因此,可转移注意力的趣味活动显得非常重要。多接触他人、做喜欢的事、运动或培养兴趣爱好都是保持忙碌的好方法,以免你闲得发慌。”
Identify the times you tend to feel anxious as the weekend wears on (Sunday Night Blues can be a misnomer -- sometimes it starts Sunday morning or afternoon), and purposely plan something to keep your mind focused on something else during those times.
用心观察自己周末什么时候容易烦躁(“周日综合症”并不十分确切,有时烦躁情绪是从周日早上或下午开始的),然后制定计划,使自己在烦躁时将注意力转移到其他事情上去。
2.Put your feelings on paper.
把情绪写在纸上。
Still can't squelch the feeling of impending doom on Monday Morning Eve? Try writing down exactly what it is that's bothering you. "It's a catharsis to get it out on paper ... It's like flushing a toilet: You get it out on paper and you have flushed your system out," says James Campbell Quick, professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at The University of Texas at Arlington. "Plus, when you go back and look at it you may realize that some of what you're thinking and feeling is a little off reality."
还是无法挥去周日晚上的焦躁感?试着把引起烦躁的事情写下来吧。“写出来也是一种宣泄……这就好像冲马桶:写出来,然后再把负面情绪冲走。而且再回头看时,会发现你的所思所想是有点不切实际的。”詹姆斯-坎贝尔-奎科说道。他是德克萨斯大学阿林顿校区的领导力与组织行为学教授。
Listing out exactly what's bothering allows you to "weigh the evidence and examine the facts that are underneath the feelings," Meyers says. He recommends also writing down plans to address each of the stressful situations, because this can help "people reappraise the scope and scale of the stresses that they're looking at over the next several days."
列出烦躁事情能使你“衡量并检查情绪背后的事实。”迈尔斯说。他建议同时也写下应对紧张情形的计划,因为这能帮助人们“重新审视接下来几天的压力范围和强度。”
3.Unplug.
切断源头。
In a world of 24/7 connectivity, there's almost always an option to check in at work -- and that means nine-to-five, five-days-a-week jobs are often a relic of the past. It can be easy to allow the stresses of workweek to seep into your precious time off and tempting to use Sunday as a chance to get a jumpstart on the week. But, as much as you can, it's important to spend time unplugged, even if you can only manage a few hours.
在当今这个全天候无休止运转的世界,工作显然是不可或缺的。这就意味着一周五天、朝九晚五的工作一直是过去循环的结果。因此,工作日的压力自然会延伸到休息时间,甚至造成周日演变成一周的开始。但只要可以,你总能切断源头——哪怕只是几个小时的时间。
Disconnecting on the weekends can allow you the time you need to recharge your batteries after a stressful week, says Joanie Ruge, senior vice president at the career site Monster.com, which conducted the Sunday Night Blues survey. It might seem counterintuitive, but taking some time off will allow you to be even more productive when you get back to the grind.
乔安娜·鲁格是本次进行“周日综合症”的职场网站Monster.com的高级副总裁,她认为,周末抛开工作能确保在辛苦工作一周后给自己充电。这貌似有悖常理,但好好休息确实能保证你在接下来的工作中更有效率。
4.Schedule something to look forward to.
合理安排玩乐。
"We shouldn't save all of our fun times for the weekend," Meyers says. Strategically setting up little things to look forward to throughout the upcoming week, and even the following weekend, can help to soothe some of your Sunday-evening dread.
“人们不该把所有玩乐都安排在周末。”迈尔斯说。有策略地把细小快乐穿插在整个星期,包括周末在内,这样可以缓解周末晚上的抑郁情绪。
These activities don't need to be elaborate (think: watching a TV show, making a phone date with a friend or going out to dinner). "Any of these are small enough to be feasible for workweek activities but large enough to make you feel excited or hopeful," Meyers says. Yup, DVR-ing DWTS totally counts.
“这类活动不必很复杂,可以是看电视剧、跟朋友煲电话粥或外出吃饭,这些琐事不仅方便穿插在工作日,还能让你心情愉悦有盼头。”迈尔斯说。没错,看录像也可以算在内。
5.Set yourself up for success.
做好成功的准备。
Sometimes Sunday night is too late to think about the Sunday Night Blues. Next week, try setting aside some time on Friday afternoon to prepare for Monday, getting things organized so you have less to feel stressed about over the weekend. "Take some time to plan, even if that means you don't dash for the door at 5 p.m. on a Friday," Ruge says. "It actually will help you have a much better and more enjoyable weekend."
有时周日晚上太晚,都无暇去想“周日综合症”。下个星期,可以尝试在周五下午就做好下周一的准备,使一切井井有条,这样你就不会为下周感到头大了。鲁格建议说:“哪怕你周五下午5:00不那么急切,也该花点时间做计划,这样周末才会过得更加舒心愉悦。”