There’s a familiar phenomenon that plagues college students on a weekly basis throughout the school year. Even if you haven’t heard of it, you’ve probably experienced it — The Sunday Scaries.
If you’re like many college students, you hit a mental pause button come Friday afternoon and for just a few days, forget you’re sole purpose here is an education. After a hard week of hitting the books, you have some well-deserved relaxation with friends and maybe a few drinks waiting for you downtown.
The world is at your feet and the weekend’s possibilities seem endless. But before you know it — it’s Sunday.
Sundays are like that mom who picked her kid up first from the party before he even got to play with the birthday kid’s new toys. She’s kind of a fun-sucker.
So, how do you know if you have the Scaries? As stated on Sunday-Scaries.com, a sort of “support group” for those regularly affected by the scaries, it’s a rush of anxiety brought on by the sudden realization that the weekend is over and fear of the work week come Monday morning. The site adds that Scaries are often exacerbated by recurrent thoughts of embarrassing behavior you may have displayed at the bar over the weekend. Oops.
Symptoms typically begin on Sunday evenings between 4 and 8 p.m. when reality starts to get really, well, real. Common symptoms include, but are not limited to:
1. Heart palpitations brought on by the thought of all the school work you didn’t do.
2. Nervous sweats at the sound of the email notification alert on your phone. Please don’t be from ANGEL.
3. Instant butterflies (not the good kind) at the sight of embarrassing Snapchats from the night before.
Though there is no cure for the Sunday Scaries many agree, including Sunday-Scaries.com, that watching uplifting movies and TV shows is a common and effective treatment.
Here at Valley, we’ve compiled a list of the best movies and shows to aide in easing your Scaries. In all honestly, you know you really should get your life together, but if you need just a few more hours of escaping real life, try one of our favorite Sunday Scary-battling picks below.
“Girls”
If there’s one thing that’s sure to distract you from any disastrous decisions you’ve made this weekend, it’s the by-far worse ones that Lena Dunham and friends make every week on this show. One of the best parts about this series is how real it is. Many fans and critics alike have called it a more realistic “Sex in the City” that’s painfully accurate for 20-somethings. Post in your BFF group chat for someone’s HBO GO account if you don’t have one yourself to watch all four seasons of “Girls” (just not in one Sunday.) Tell them it’s for the Scaries – they’ll understand.
“Shrek”
Sometimes regressing back to childhood, a much safer time in your life when homework consisted of coloring in the lines, is the best way to beat the Scaries. Forget escaping the impending school week, escape this entire portion of your life for a few hours! “Shrek” is a classic animated movie and is accompanied by an upbeat soundtrack with songs like “I’m a Believer” by Smashmouth, definitely an added bonus for lifting your mood. Watch “Shrek” for $2.99 via Amazon Video — a small price to pay for relief from the Scaries.
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
As if Leonardo DiCaprio in a suit wasn’t reason enough to smile, this rags-to-riches plot line is sure to reassure you that no matter where are you in life (or the semester) everything is gonna work out just fine; as long as you don’t participate in illegal stock trading and develop a serious drug problem, that is. You can find this Best Picture nominated drama on Amazon Video for $2.99.
“About Time”
There’s nothing like a good old Rom-Com to remind you that no matter how many papers you’re currently avoiding, there are things more important in the grand scheme of things — unrealistic romance, for example. As described by website A Good Movie to Watch, “About Time” will “make you laugh, cry, and fall in love. It will make you realize how important time is in our life and the consequences of every action we take.” We highly recommend giving this one a shot to remind yourself that there are things in life more important than whatever is currently giving you the Scaries. Watch “About Time” on Amazon Video for $4.99.
Do you have any movie favorites that help you beat the Sunday Scaries? Let us know on social media @ValleyMag.
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