It’s late July. Maybe early August, depending on when school starts. Technically still summer, but mentally, you’re already thinking about back-to-school mode.

The emails are creeping in. Maybe you’ve already received the “Welcome back” email. You’ve at least opened and started your training videos. (Can we ever get enough training on bloodborne pathogens?)

Teachers are posting classroom setups and wishlists on social media. You keep thinking about that one task you swore you’d get done this summer, but didn’t, and wonder if there is still time to do it. 

And just like that, the summer scaries arrive. For anyone in education, these scaries aren’t new. In fact, we deal with a smaller version all year long. We call them the Sunday scaries. You know, that sinking feeling on Sunday night when the week ahead begins to weigh on your chest.

The summer version just lasts longer and might sometimes cause more dread.

Why Are These Feelings So Familiar?

School librarians wear a lot of hats, and we often wear them all at once. On any given week, or sometimes day, you might be planning lessons, managing tech issues, promoting literacy, tracking data, collaborating with teachers (or trying to), keeping the space organized, planning bookfairs, fielding surprise tasks, and trying to advocate for your program in between it all.

It’s no wonder that when we slow down, whether over summer or on the weekend, our brains struggle to rest.

We stop moving, unfortunately, the mental load doesn’t.

And then, whether it’s the end of summer break or Sunday at 8:00 p.m., the uneasiness creeps in.

The shift from summer break to school-year mindset is more than flipping a calendar page. It’s emotional, mental, and, let’s be honest, physical. You’ve spent weeks trying to decompress, catch up on sleep, enjoy your hobbies, or simply remember what it’s like to eat lunch without multitasking.

But as back-to-school season approaches, the quiet can start to feel less like a break and more like a countdown. You begin to wonder:

  • Will the schedule change—again?
  • Will I have the resources I need?
  • How am I going to manage the new state mandates?
  • Will anyone respect my time, or will I be the “free period” again?
  • Why didn’t I finish weeding that one section?

There’s no switch that flips us instantly from rested to ready. And the scaries, whether they’re summer or Sunday, often creep in during that murky in-between.

How the Summer Scaries Morph Into Sunday Scaries

The back-to-school countdown makes us feel like we should be sprinting toward readiness. But the truth is, this late-summer tension is just the beginning of a pattern many of us involuntarily carry into the school year.

The Sunday scaries hit when you’re too tired to plan but too anxious to rest.

They show up when you didn’t quite finish your Friday to-do list, or when Monday holds a class you’re not sure how to engage, or when a district deadline looms, and you know it will fall squarely in your lap.

Strategies That Can Help—Now and Later

These aren’t just “summer” strategies. These are ways to protect your energy all year long:

1. Make a “Monday-You” List

Instead of scrambling on Sunday night to remember everything that needs doing, try creating a simple list of things that Monday you can take care of. It doesn’t have to be fancy—Post-it notes, a half-scribbled notebook page, or a digital note on your phone all work just fine.

Personally, “Friday Me” leaves sticky notes on my computer monitor for “Monday Me.” They usually say things like “Pull books for 3rd grade!” or “Send follow-up to Ms. Reynolds.” It’s nothing elaborate—just little breadcrumbs so I don’t feel like I’m starting from scratch after the weekend.

The goal here isn’t perfection. It’s permission to release the mental clutter. Writing it down frees up brain space. And if you don’t get to everything? That’s okay. There’s no shame in an incomplete list. Things come up. Schedules shift. Students walk in needing immediate help. Most things, whether we want them to or not, can wait for another day.

Remember, no one else knows what is on your list. 

2. Build a Buffer

Give yourself a pocket of time—any time—where you aren’t answering emails, teaching a class, or restocking shelves. Maybe it’s 15 quiet minutes before the bell rings. Maybe it’s a scheduled “closed” block on your calendar. Maybe it’s lunchtime behind a closed door.

Whatever it looks like, protect it.

Use that time however you need: reset the library, prep a lesson, respond to emails without pressure, breathe, or even stare into space if that’s what helps. No one can give you buffer time—you have to claim it. And yes, keeping a stash of chocolate (or tea or your favorite snack) nearby never hurts.

Librarians are often expected to be “on” all day for everyone else. This buffer is for you.

3. Lean Into Community

You don’t have to do this alone. In fact, you shouldn’t.

Sometimes, all it takes is a quick message to another librarian: “Do you get the Sunday scaries too?” Chances are, they’ll respond instantly with: “Absolutely. Every week.” That tiny moment of solidarity makes a huge difference.

Whether it’s a group text with fellow librarians, a statewide PLN, a social media group, or the colleague down the hall—find your people. Lean on them. Celebrate wins, vent frustrations, ask questions, and share ideas. Library work can be isolating, but it doesn’t have to be lonely.

And if you’re not usually the one to reach out, try it just once. You might be surprised at who needs that connection just as much as you do.

4. Create Gentle Transitions

Sunday nights and/or late-summer evenings do not need to be packed with productivity. You’re allowed to enter the new week slowly and softly.

Try building a ritual that helps you unwind before the week begins: journaling, reading a book just for fun, taking a short walk, doing a puzzle, watching a comfort show you’ve seen a hundred times. Whatever calms your mind and reminds you that you are more than your to-do list.

You don’t need to earn rest by finishing every task. Rest is productive. It’s a reset. It’s what lets you show up with creativity, presence, and resilience. Give yourself permission to close the laptop and enjoy the quiet without guilt. Sometimes, if we don’t allow ourselves to rest, our bodies will force us to. 

5. Reframe Readiness

You don’t need to have everything figured out to be ready. Ready doesn’t mean your library is perfectly organized, every lesson is planned, and your inbox is at zero.

Ready can mean:

  • “I rested this weekend.”
  • “I made one good list.”
  • “I know the first thing I need to do when I walk in.”
  • “I’m showing up.”

That’s enough.

We put so much pressure on ourselves to be everything, everywhere, all at once. But the truth is, students don’t need perfection. They need someone who’s present, responsive, and human. And that starts with you giving yourself grace.

Give Yourself the Grace You Give Others

You’d never tell a student to work harder when they’re clearly burned out. You wouldn’t ask a teacher to do three jobs with no support and no recognition (though we all know it happens). Extend that same compassion to yourself.

Whether you’re staring down the end of summer or dreading another Monday, it’s okay to feel uneasy. It doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful. It means you care deeply and that your role is complex.

You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to ease back in. You are allowed to not have everything figured out right now.

The library and your students will still be there. And you’ll show up, just like you always do. Thoughtfully. Creatively. Compassionately.

Even when it’s hard.