Fear calling? 9 simple things you can do right now to tackle your Sunday night anxiety

Sunday nights are kind of terrible.

Battling fear over something you did while out on the rip over the weekend; stressing about the week ahead - nothing can trigger anxiety quite like this time of the week. Woo. Here are a few ways to help you calm yourself this evening and feel slightly less awful. 1.Lay out EVERYTHING Like, all your clothes for the morning (undies and socks and all), your lunch, your keys, money for the bus or a coffee, the whole lot. Being on top of shit will help settle your mind. 2. Tee up a good podcast for the morning Anything to make the thought of getting out of bed tomorrow easier. 3. Leave the house You don't have to run a marathon but getting out for even half an hour will help to break the cycle of thoughts in your head. Even if it's late - just get up and walk off some of that anxious energy. 4. Eat a sleepy meal Not necessarily a takeaway but something comforting that will help you wind down. If making it yourself from scratch will help you to feel less anxious, do that. 5. Address your fear head-on This sounds scary but just go with us. Draw a mind map outlining what has you feeling anxious and look at potential conclusions - what will actually happen here? Why is it bothering me? 6. Start a gratitude journal Grab a pen and a notebook, write down the date and jot down three things you're grateful for. It could be a friend, your job, your home or even a cute dog you saw that day. Taking stock of the nice things in your life can only make you feel better. 7. Avoid certain apps A complete smartphone ban can be hard to stick to (we're only human) but maybe stay away from things that'll make you feel bad about yourself or just more anxious in general, be it Instagram, WhatsApp or whatever. Turn off notifications or temporarily delete the app if that helps. 8. Call someone you haven't chatted to in a while You don't have to talk about how you're feeling, just say hi to someone and catch up. 9. Make midweek plans Don't have nothing to look forward to until next weekend - schedule a walk, a cinema date or coffee with someone to break up the days to come.   *It's worth noting that if anxiety is becoming a regular thing that's interfering with your life, you might need to seek proper help. Here are some organisations that can offer advice. The Samaritans www.samaritans.ie Tel: 116 123  Text: 087 2 60 90 90 Email: [email protected] Reach Out ReachOut.com Anxiety Ireland AnxietyIreland.ie Mental Health Ireland MentalHealthIreland.ie