Everyone on TikTok hates January

"If you had a severe case of the Sunday Scaries last weekend, you are not alone. It's a sentiment many have been sharing online. Ready or not, with it comes an influx of unread emails, meeting invites, and responsibilities-smugly pushed to the New Year in the last weeks of December-now coming back to haunt us all. Indeed, the first Monday of the year is the Monday-est Monday of all."

""Oh god," one TikTok user posted on Monday 6th. "Everyone is circling back." "Worst aesthetic ever: Back to work in the first week of jan," another wrote, riffing on TikTok's "rare aesthetic" trend. Some have used the lyrics to The Smiths' "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" to sum up the feeling of corporate workers logging back on the first Monday of the year."

"Some have used the lyrics to The Smiths' "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" to sum up the feeling of corporate workers logging back on the first Monday of the year. After weeks of late nights of holiday fun, overindulgence, friends and family time and a slower pace of life, the abrupt shift back to the corporate grind can trigger feelings of anxiety in even the most enthusiastic of employees."

The post-holiday return to work commonly triggers the Sunday Scaries, marked by anxiety and dread. Workers face an influx of unread emails, meeting invites, and postponed responsibilities resurfacing in early January. Social-media users express frustration and humor about the abrupt transition, calling the first Monday the most intense return-to-work day. Cultural references and lyrics are used to capture collective mood. After weeks of relaxed schedules, socializing, and indulgence, the sudden reentry to corporate routines can produce significant stress and anxiety, affecting employees across enthusiasm levels.

Read at Fast Company