Ditch the Sunday dread: Start your week with confidence

You know that feeling that creeps in on a Sunday afternoon? That subtle (or not-so-subtle) weight in your chest as the weekend starts slipping away. You might find yourself checking your emails “just in case”, mentally running through to-do lists, or even feeling irritable for no clear reason.

Welcome to what many call the 'Sunday scaries' – that uncomfortable mix of anxiety, dread, and pressure that shows up just as we’re meant to be winding down and recharging. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. But more importantly, it doesn’t have to be your norm.

Why Sunday anxiety happens

Over the years, I’ve seen this pattern show up time and again with the clients I coach. It’s not about being “too sensitive” or ungrateful for your life – it’s often a sign that your energy, emotions, or expectations are out of alignment.

And that’s where my L.O.V.E. framework comes in. It’s a simple, soulful process I use in my confidence and empowerment coaching to help you come back home to yourself, especially in moments where dread, pressure, or self-doubt take over.

Let’s explore how it works – and how you can use it to transform your Sundays into a sacred reset, and your Mondays into a confident, intentional beginning.

Step 1: L – Let yourself feel and let go

Often, when Sunday dread shows up, our first instinct is to push it down or distract ourselves with social media scrolling, TV, or mentally rehearsing everything that could go wrong in the week ahead.

But what your body and heart often need most in that moment is space to feel.

Instead of ignoring the discomfort, pause. Ask yourself:

• What am I really feeling right now?
• What am I holding onto from last week that I haven’t processed?

It could be unspoken stress, unresolved conversations, or pressure you’ve put on yourself to “do better” this time around.

Journaling, breathwork, or simply sitting with your emotions (even for five to 10 minutes) can help release what’s ready to go. This isn’t about wallowing – it’s about clearing space. Letting go of what no longer serves you is a powerful act of self-leadership.

Step 2: O – Own your inner power

Once you’ve made room emotionally, it’s time to anchor back into your truth. You are not your to-do list. You are not the version of you who feels overwhelmed or inadequate. You are powerful and intuitive – even when you forget.

So ask yourself:

• What am I proud of from last week, no matter how small?
• What qualities do I want to bring into this new week?

Own your strengths. Celebrate your wins – even if it’s just that you rested or said no when you needed to. This is about reclaiming your identity from stress, and remembering: you get to choose how you show up.

Many of my clients tell me this step alone changes everything, because they stop waiting for external validation and start owning their confidence from within.

Step 3: V – Vibrational shift

Once you’re emotionally clear and mentally grounded, it’s time to tune into the frequency of the person you’re becoming:

• How do they think?
• How do they walk into a Monday meeting?
• How do they speak to themselves when things feel messy?

You can embody that version of yourself now through affirmations, movement, meditation, or even a visualisation practice. One of my favourites is imagining myself walking into the week already aligned, calm, and focused.

When you shift your vibration, you don’t just “prepare for Monday”; you start calling in opportunities, clarity, and ease that match your energy.

Step 4: E – Empower yourself through action

Empowerment isn’t just a feeling – it’s a practice. It’s the way you choose to show up, even when the fear is still there.

What’s one action you can take on Sunday that will set you up for a more empowered week?
It might be:

• meal prepping
• planning your top three priorities,
• scheduling time for something that nourishes you

But most importantly, choose actions that honour you, not actions driven by guilt or hustle. Empowerment looks like boundaries, rest, courage, and saying “yes” to yourself first.

This final step is about stepping into your week on purpose, not on autopilot.

From dread to empowerment: A new Sunday ritual

When you use this L.O.V.E. framework, Sundays become less about dread and more about devotion to yourself, your energy, and your goals.

Here’s a gentle Sunday ritual you can try:

• Sit in stillness for five minutes and name what emotions are present.
• Journal three things you’re letting go of from the past week.
• Write down three qualities you want to embody this week.
• Say a power affirmation out loud (e.g. “I begin this week grounded and powerful.”)
• Choose one aligned action that will support you in showing up as your highest self.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to be intentional.

Ready to start your week with more confidence?

If this speaks to you and you’re craving more support, this is exactly the kind of work I do inside my confidence and empowerment coaching sessions. Using mindset tools, emotional release practices, and somatic methods like the L.O.V.E. framework, I help women who are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or doubtful reconnect with their inner power and finally start living in alignment with who they really are.

You don’t have to keep carrying the Sunday dread on your own – you get to rewrite the story. Because the most powerful thing you can do this week is choose you.