For a young person like myself, the weekend is always an exciting time filled with relaxation and crazy adventures. With all of that fun, it makes sense that I get a case of the "Sunday Blues" whenever the weekend comes to an end. When the sun begins to dip during late afternoon on Sunday, the stress, anxiety and anticipation towards the coming week of class and/or work begin. No matter how much fun I get in my system, I'm just never mentally ready to go back to the working days of the week.

I started getting the "Sunday Blues" during 1st grade, which was my first year as a full time student leaving the fun of preschool and kindergarten behind. As someone with Asperger's Syndrome, the seven hour school days were massive amounts of overstimulation for me, from smells, to sounds, to large amounts of people, and no air conditioning on hot days. It was also the first year where I started having homework every night except for Friday. I got nauseous, had meltdowns, and developed headaches, all on a regular basis. This was why I started feeling anxious and stressed on Sundays.

Although my symptoms improved as I went through puberty, middle and high school life brought new challenges that contributed to my "Sunday Blues." Waking up at six in the morning and balancing large amounts of homework with extracurriculars was tough. The social pressures of things like dating, learning to drive, getting a part time job, and dealing with acne made each school week a grind. Even though I had a great experience in my later years of school, I'd always let these challenges contribute to my stress, so the "Blues" continued.

Even in college, where I have a spread out schedule and plenty of time to nap, there are always new challenges in life that contribute to my "Blues." I imagine that it will continue into my eventual working life as well. This semester, I've come to accept it, but not let it get me down. I'm developing coping strategies and relaxation techniques for handling my stress and anxiety on Sundays.

What I've also learned recently, however, is that there are more people than I originally thought who also get the "Sunday Blues." Life is hard, and every day brings new challenges and obstacles that seem difficult to overcome. Even though very few people are in love with the workweek, we need to have times of hard work and challenges in order to recognize and appreciate times of relaxation and fun.

So don't feel bad if you, like me, experience the "Sunday Blues." Based on what our lives are like, it seems like a perfectly normal thing. One thing I'm always thankful for though, is the fact that I get a weekend. In the age of long and unusual hours, having one should never be taken for granted.