ColoradoRocky

When I first stopped drinking, I couldn't understand why I was so down, so out of sorts, so depressed even, so especially lonely, on Sundays. And by Sunday night it was even worse. Of course when I was drinking I spent most of the days when I wasn't pitching in the bars, and late night every Sunday in the bars. There's something in the air late night Sunday in bars where people are at their worst and unhappiest.

I asked a friend, described this, and she said, "It's family day."

That hurt. I didn't have a family, kind of like Christmas and Thanksgiving with no family, only every week, every Sunday. But even when I had a family, much later in life, when I was a foster parent, my foster children were extra needy and clingy on Sundays. We used to call it Clingy Sunday!

And even with a family around you, if things aren't going well, Sundays can be especially rough.

It's a phenomenom I can't prove, just by anecdote.

So I asked my sponsor about it. He said, "Here's what I want you to do. I want you to learn how to make muffins. When you get up Sunday morning, I want you to make a special point of taking care of yourself. Make muffins from scratch, take your time. Maybe read a little while they're baking. Be kind to yourself. Then, when you go to the meeting over there at St Peter on Sunday night, I want you to be kind to someone newer like yourself. But don't let anyone else notice."

It worked. (My sponsor's name was Myles. I wish he were still around.)

Bethany57

This is so true...being kind to someone. I try to give someone a compliment. It's really a little thing that can go such a long way. I know this sounds crazy but when I think of it I get very few compliments in my life. I remember like it was yesterday the ones I get. A teacher in high school once paid me a compliment in front of the whole class .....I remember it like it was yesterday. I still think of this lady. A very small gesture can have a big impact.

Kdon853

Great stuff

lessgravity

Awesome post. Thank you.

newhope01

ColoradoRocky

That's beautiful.

NerfThis

Really great post.

I've never been able to shake those Sunday blues. I thought it was all because of alcohol. A misery and depression caused by Friday night, Saturday and Sunday drinking with the impending doom of work on Monday (if I could even make it in on Monday, which I usually couldn't due to anxiety and shakes from drinking)

I've been sober nearly 14 months and my Sunday depression still kicks in like clockwork around 4pm. I have a tradition I love now which is to go to the gym early, get ready and take a walk to grab myself some iced coffee, come home and watch some shows while having breakfast with my husband followed by playing video games with him or watching more shows. Nice dinner in the evening and a movie. It doesn't matter how happy that stuff makes me, I always get hit with the blues in the late afternoon. I don't even have work to travel to onMondays anymore! I am a freelance artist with no such pressure. There is no explanation. I seem programmed to feel that way haha. I still barely sleep on a Sunday night. This used to be because of alcohol, but now it's just some weird Sunday anxiety that seems to have no real cause. I wish I understood it!