Hate Mondays? 10 Ways to Handle “The Mondays”
It’s Monday morning: is your head groggy, your attitude foul and your mood lower than a lizard’s belly? Did you have trouble waking up, getting up, staying up and perking up? Would you turn around and go back to bed right now if you could? Are you snapping at your dog, your computer or your co-workers?
It sounds like you’ve got a case of The Mondays – and it could be chronic, repeating week after week as you try to get back in gear after the weekend. Associated with a lack of energy, cranky behavior and slumping motivation, The Mondays can affect anyone, but most often hit those who dread their daily grind. If you’ve got a job you hate, the best answer is to quit and find a better one. Until that day, however, you can make your Mondays better with the following tips.
1. Organize your desk or workspace on Friday afternoon. You’re probably not getting anything brilliant done on Friday at 4:45PM, so plan to use this time to clean up and organize instead. Straighten up your desk, file anything you don’t need, and leave a short to-do list for yourself on Monday morning so that you will have a head start.
2. Stay on a sleep schedule. If you wake up at 6AM on weekdays and 11AM on weekends, your body will feel like you’ve got jetlag. While it’s tempting to sleep in on the weekends, if you wake up within one hour of your normal alarm time, your body will respond by feeling better all week long.
3. Treat yourself on Sunday. As tempting as it may be to laze about doing nothing every Sunday, instead treat yourself with an experience you truly enjoy: try out a new cake recipe, plant flowers in your garden or meet friends for a glass of wine. Instead of returning to the workweek regretting your wasted weekend, you’ll be reminded of the reasons you are working in the first place.
4. Start Monday your way. Rushing into the week with no breakfast sets you up to be a grouch. Make Monday mornings special by creating a ritual you enjoy, to remind yourself that you are in control of your actions. You choose to make espresso, you choose to read the paper, you choose to walk your dog and you choose to go to work. Lucky you.
5. Plan for a special lunch. Plan to eat out with co-workers, join a friend for lunch or just grab a bite for yourself. Even if you pack your lunch every other day of the week, planning on a special Monday treat will make the day something to look forward to instead of dread.
6. Get outdoors into the sunshine. Soak up some vitamin D and lift your spirits by spending some time outdoors every Monday. Go for an early morning walk with your dog, eat a sandwich lunch in the local park or spend the evening relaxing in your backyard. Even if you just leave your office for a 15-minute walk twice a day, being outdoors can affect your mood in a powerful way.
7. Turn on the tunes. When all else fails, use music as the medicine. Turning on some upbeat tunes from your favorite artist will always work to lift your mood and combat the Monday blues. Make a playlist to have ready for dull moments, and let music do the heavy lifting of your spirit.
Image: Mark HIllary
