Most of us understand that debilitating anxious feeling that kicks in around 8pm on a Sunday evening. When the excitement of the weekend is a distant memory and the reality of a new work week lies ahead.

Well, if it makes you feel better, you’re not alone. As it happens, there’s a very reasonable explanation and if you can understand why you’re feeling that way, it will be easier to take yourself out of it.

Michael Ledden, a Psycotherpist with Abate Counselling and Anxiety Ireland, explains that the night before work can cause many people to experience an overwhelming cascade of “what if” thinking.

Michael told RSVP Live: “The remarkable thing I notice in practice is that many 9-5 people have these thoughts, especially on a Sunday night and not as much on a Friday or Saturday.

“Some can worry all the time, but I see this less often. Shift workers I see can get this any night before a shift but generally it is when they are about to go back in.

“People often explain to me trying to have the night before as a time of rest, but inevitably like all worries, worries about work strike when the mind is unoccupied. The way to help though isn’t by staying busy, it is by looking at the cause of the worries.

“The types of worries that people can have are varied. But common ones are the fear of making a mistake or being caught out or looking stupid in front of someone. These kinds of fears can stem from perfectionism and or from a desire to please others.

“They create the need to not disappoint others and/or not to disappoint ourselves. This can signify that we have placed too much of our self-esteem and worth into the valuation of others or into our ability to reach standards or be an ‘accomplisher’.

“The danger with this is that our self-regard and right not to be anxious, often hinges on factors outside of our control. This can generate massive ‘what ifs’ before work about what the day will throw at us to derail our ambitions.

One of the major contributors to a ‘what’ if’ spiral of thinking is often an underlying lack of self-belief, Micheal explains.

“I see this manifesting ‘what ifs’ when a client is unconsciously or consciously doubting themselves or is highly uncomfortable in the position. For example, we could feel we are a bit slow or that we didn’t deserve a recent promotion/job.

“Holding this belief will make our anxious mind expect us to be found out or overwhelmed. This fear leads to “what if” thinking and making strategies to stay ahead. Added to this, for reasons completely unique to ourselves, unconsciously we can also be triggered by changes at work which makes us anxious.

“The thing about this is that any subtle change in the work environment as mentioned above could set off worry about work.

It’s important to note that genuinely worrying about work when faced with a problem is normal, the sign of an unhealthy worry about work is when it’s consistent and without any reason that something bad is going to happen.

“In my experience if we suddenly develop worries or anxiety, then there will be a source. Perhaps a tripwire in us that was waiting to be activated. The new job, role change, new manager or promotion just happened to come along and step on the landmine. The reasons a work issue/change can unsettle us are infinitely varied and infinitely unexpected”.

If you are resonating with Michael’s description of work worry, he suggests asking yourself what is the root of the problem:

• What is the exposure I am afraid of behind these worries?
• If the worry tends to be about getting caught out, think what would someone be catching out?
• If the worry is about not getting everything done or not pleasing your boss, maybe ask what would that say about me?
• Would it make me bad or a less worthy person?

If you’re struggling, a positive way to get to the bottom of these questions is through therapy and at Anxiety Ireland they have a team of accredited psychotherapists who work with thousands of people with anxiety every year.

“We are always happy to answer messages to our page or I am happy to take calls/text to see how I can help: 087 063 0948,” said Michael.