Another Monday? So soon? Mondays are hard for many of us. There's even a term - Monday Blues - to describe how we feel on the first day back to work after the weekend. Even if we love our job and enjoy the work we do, we can still struggle with the Monday Blues. Here are a few tips to help get you through Monday so you can start the week right.
Avoid over scheduling on Mondays. We tend to think we'll feel refreshed after the weekend so we can hit the ground running on Monday morning. However, things tend to pop up on Monday mornings or we hit the snooze button too many times and we're running late. Plus, heading into work knowing the day is already packed full can feel overwhelming.
Wake up early. I know, I know!! It's hard to wake up early on a Monday, but you know how it feels to be running late and rushing around trying to make it to work on time. You may even have to skip breakfast or, even worse, run out of time for coffee! Running late can cause us unneeded stress and start our week off already feeling behind.
Go to bed early Sunday night. This ties in with getting up early. We're all heard the old saying "Early to bed, early to rise..." so getting to bed at a reasonable hour Sunday night will help us get up early on Monday (see above). You might even pick out your outfit and pack your bag for work before you go to bed so you have less to do in the morning.
Listen to something you enjoy. If you have a long commute or even a short drive to work, you can listen to a podcast you enjoy or a playlist of songs that get you pumped up. Create some good vibes and maybe you'll even find yourself smiling before 9am.
Give yourself a break. I know we can't all take an hour lunch or leave the office for a few hours on a Monday afternoon, but we can all take a five minute break to clear our heads and regroup. Maybe get up and walk around for a minute to stretch your legs or even close your eyes at your desk and take some deep breaths as you think of some place that makes you happy. If a break isn't an option, try switching tasks so you feel like you are changing things up. A ten minute break might be just the thing you need to keep going.
Plan something fun. We usually save our fun for the weekends but shouldn't you get a little reward after you made it through Monday? Plan a little something on Monday after work to celebrate or just to start the week off in style.
Reframe Mondays. Start thinking of Monday as a more positive day - a day to get back to work and enjoy all the positives about your job (insert positive thoughts about your job here) Maybe spend the first few minutes at work on Monday reflecting on all you accomplished the week before and look forward to all the things you'll accomplish this week. Instead of making a list of all the things you need to get done, write a list of all the things you did each week and review your productivity the following Monday.
Go easy on yourself. I'm not going to guarantee after trying these tips for a few weeks that you'll hop out of bed on a Monday morning thankful it's not the weekend, but with a little practice and reframing, maybe you will dread Mondays a little less and won't need a whole pot of coffee and two Snickers to get you through the day!