I have been looking for answers to a problem I have had for my whole life: Why can I not relax or enjoy a day off? Why does the thought of a day or so off work make me so anxious that I spiral into a depression? I have been doing some of my own research into why I may be feeling this and also how to help relieve the anxiety and bring calmness into my life so that I can enjoy it to the fullest.
I stumbled across an article by Charmaine Yabsley that talks about this idea of Weekend Anxiety Syndrome (WAS). This is a term they claim is “anxiety that’s related to the repeated failure to do everything you want to do or feel you must do at the weekend”. Dr. Luke Martin, clinical psychologist, believes WAS is a side effect of modern life. We are constantly measuring our life and comparing it to others that we cannot enjoy the things we do. Every Monday, co-workers will ask “How was your weekend?” and everyone will begin to compare their weekend highlights and it becomes a game of who had the best weekend. For some, this might not be too provoking, but for those that may have outside issues or potentially a mental illness it can be distressing.
This deems the term or label “Workaholic”. Weekend anxiety can indicate that the person is used to a controlled environment, and on the weekends it can be a free for all on the possibilities of things that people can do in their off time with no schedule. Some will use this to fill it with more work in order to cope with the anxiety they have about all the free, unscheduled time they have. In short, this becomes the cycle of workaholism.
So how do we overcome this? This is the tricky part. Some suggest trying new things on your time off and making plans with others on the time off to help ease some of the anxiety. Some suggest trying to create a structure for the days off. Having the structure on your days off, or penciling in time to relax/play games/ watch tv/ exercise/ nap, can help ease anxiety and also increase relaxation. The goal for the time off should be to relax and rest for the days that you have to work. However you choose to relax is up to the individual.
Catherine Madigan, clinical psychologist at Anxiety Treatment Australia, created a list of symptoms to look out for that can indicate WAS:
1. Irritability
2. Being short-tempered
3. Feeling panicky
4. Frequent tension headaches
5. Upset stomach
6. Continual worries and worrying
7. Inability to sleep-in or just relax around the house
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