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‘Mentally, you’ve already reached the office’: Founder on why Sunday evenings feel stressful for corporate employees
A founder said corporate stress had followed employees home, turning Sunday evenings into preparation for Monday.
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For many corporate employees, Sunday evening often comes with an uncomfortable reminder that the weekend is almost over. Founder Arijit Nandi has captured that familiar feeling in a video, reflecting on how thoughts about Monday can begin taking over personal time long before the workweek actually starts.
(Also read: Bengaluru founder breaks down why young people in India are frustrated: ‘Can’t find meaningful work’)
Taking to Instagram, Nandi described how an ordinary Sunday evening with family can quickly turn into an unofficial extension of work.
‘Mentally, you have already reached the office’
"I took one sip of my tea and suddenly remembered tomorrow is Monday, and I have a meeting at 9:30. That's how quickly Sunday evening can disappear. One moment you are sitting with your family, your child is playing next to you, someone is talking to you, maybe there is a movie running in the background. And then one thought enters your head: tomorrow morning,” he said.
Nandi explained how thoughts about an unfinished presentation, a difficult conversation with a manager, a client escalation or even an ignored Friday email can prompt people to check their work apps.
"You pick up your phone and just tell yourself, 'Let me just check Teams once.' Then you open up Teams, and from there you switch to Outlook, then to tomorrow's calendar. And something strange then starts to happen. Your tea is still in your hand, your family is still sitting next to you, but you are no longer really there. Mentally, you have already reached the office on Monday morning," he added.
‘A waiting room for Monday’
The founder said the feeling is casually described as the “Sunday Scaries”, but suggested it could point to something deeper after years in corporate life.
"Because Monday hasn't started yet, and your job has already taken a few hours from your Sunday. It is not from your office hours. It is from your time, your family time, your peace, from the part of the week that was supposed to belong to you only," he said.
He ended with a question: "When did my weekend stop becoming a place to live and start becoming a waiting room for Monday?"
Sharing the clip, Nandi wrote, "Sometimes burnout doesn’t look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like checking Teams on Sunday evening while sitting beside your family. The job may not even be bad. But if your mind never completely leaves work, that is worth noticing. Does Monday enter your mind on Sunday evening too?"
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The post has garnered limited reactions so far. One user wrote, "Sunday evenings hit differently in corporate life." Another said, "Work should not steal your weekends too." A third commented, "This is painfully relatable." Another added, "Corporate stress follows you home."
(Also read: Founder explains how low salary becomes a ‘benchmark’ for future jobs: ‘Don’t blindly chase percentage hikes’)
HT.com has reached out to the user for his comments, and the copy will be updated once his response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
