We all know the “Sunday scaries”—that creeping anxiety as the weekend winds down. But what you might not realize is that leaders experience it too.
As a CEO, I’ve found that the best way to fend off Sunday dread is by fully unplugging. At least once a week, I do a digital detox, shutting off my devices to be fully present with my wife and kids.
Sometimes, we turn on the radio and play board games; other times, we stay in pajamas and take on a new cooking or baking challenge. It’s our version of søndagshygge—the Danish idea of embracing cozy Sundays with tea, books, music, blankets, and other at-home rituals.
While personal rituals can help, leaders can also play a role in easing their team members’ back-to-work anxiety. The question becomes: How can we support employees in making that transition? While there’s no silver bullet, I’ve found a few strategies that make a meaningful difference.
Leading with empathy
When it comes to facing challenges, togetherness is one of the most powerful antidotes to managing stress.
It’s like heading into a storm in a rowboat—having just one person by your side, paddling with you and understanding your perspective, can make all the difference.
That’s what empathy is about—demonstrating to others that you truly identify with and understand their thoughts, emotions, and perspectives.
Empathetic leaders show they care about their employees through words and through actions—checking in with them, actively listening, and acknowledging each person’s unique circumstances. The result is a workplace where employees feel psychologically safe, fostering open and honest discussions.
Studies have shown that employees with highly empathetic leaders are more engaged at work—and more innovative, too. When a leader listens and genuinely makes an effort to understand their team’s perspective, it builds trust and fosters collaboration.
Knowing that this kind of supportive, understanding environment exists beyond the weekend can go a long way toward quelling the Sunday scaries.
Promoting a healthy work-life balance
Respecting each employee’s need to maintain a work-life balance is an essential part of an empathetic work environment. That means treating employees as individuals, not just cogs in a machine.
I reflect on my own experience when my wife and I had our children. For me, it was crucial to be able to delegate responsibilities and take parental leave. Each time I returned to the office (admittedly a bit tired, as newborns don’t care about your sleep schedule) I was ready to dive back in. I aim to offer the same flexibility and understanding to our team members.
Research backs up the idea that supporting employees’ work-life balance can have a major positive impact. A 2023 survey from the American Psychological Association found that 92% of workers believe it’s important to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being.
Studies conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have shown that when managers are trained to respect work-life harmony, employee job satisfaction increases and turnover decreases.
Offering flexibility based on personal circumstances—whether that means allowing employees to fully unplug for the evening or weekend, or taking a few hours off to attend their child’s soccer game—has helped us to maintain a low turnover rate at Jotform.
When employees return refreshed, they might not whistle every moment while they work, but they seem genuinely engaged and content to be back at their desks on Monday.
Gamifying the workplace
It’s hard to explain why adding a game-like dimension to an everyday activity can fuel motivation, but it does. Why else would brands like Nike and Fitbit offer users personalized feedback, social interaction, and even some friendly competition? Knowing you’ll earn that badge or publicly top your personal best pushes you to clock that extra mile.
Experts call it gamification—leveraging game-like mechanisms, like the ones you’d find in video games, to make real-world activities more engaging.
Gamification has been shown to increase motivation and engagement. It makes employees more willing to take on repetitive tasks, engage in risks, and even fail.
Surveys have found that gamification provides a sense of belonging and connection in the workplace. Employees report being more productive and happier at work. In short, gamification makes work, including the occasional mundane task, more fun.
When employees participate in incentivized tasks, they’re not just motivated, they’re also excited. This excitement helps counteract the Sunday scaries. Instead of dreading the workweek ahead, employees are looking forward to the challenges and rewards of gamified tasks.
Whether it’s earning points for hitting targets or engaging in friendly competitions with coworkers, the gamified experience gives them something to anticipate.
And with AI making gamification more accessible and fun than ever, there’s no reason why leaders can’t bring this kind of excitement to the workplace, helping employees feel energized and eager to start their week—on Monday and beyond.
