I know, it is THAT day of the week again. What is it about Monday's that makes us loathe and groan? Research shows that Monday is the most called-in day of the week. Are you losing a day of productivity and money because of your Monday Blues? Here are five ideas on how to overcome those Monday grumps!
1. Have Something to Look Forward to on Monday Nights
What is it that keeps you going from Monday ’til Friday? Weekends! You’d probably be thinking about relaxing, spending time with family and friends or even that date you have planned; no doubt these thoughts would help make the time pass faster.
The same theory thus, should also apply to your Mondays. Plan something for after work so that you have something to look forward to. Monday is probably just the start of a hard week ahead, so you deserve an exciting event at the end of the day to motivate you while you work.
If you feel that you’d be too exhausted for a night out, consider doing something at home; something relaxing. If you make it a habit to go home to relax every Monday evening, sooner or later you’d not see each Monday as a taxing day. Rather, it will become the day that you’ll long for. Monday doesn’t have to be the most painful day of the week; it is only so, if you focus on it.
2. Prepare Monday’s Work on Friday
This one seems like common sense, but people don’t seem to heed it. It is a case of instant gratification versus delayed gratification. Yes, Friday is the day when we can finally say take a breather and count down to the weekend. But in reality, some of us have already ‘closed shop’ by midday, and simply thinking about plans for the weekends.
The result? We leave Friday’s work to pick up on Monday, and we face a double whammy when we return to work after the weekend.
I suggest that you bring the coming Monday’s work to this Friday. This will not only minimize the dread you’ll face on Monday mornings, but also keep your mind off work during the weekend. At the very least, if you plan out Monday’s workload on Friday, you’ll feel less overwhelmed come Monday. Planning ahead can help you cope with Mondays and maintain your productivity levels for the rest of the week.
3. Socialize
Humans are social beings. Even if you are an introvert and prefer to keep to yourself most of the time, you still need some social contact once in a while. Engaging in a conversation stimulates the mind enough to actually kick-start it for the day. If you dive straight into your work the moment you reach the office, chances are that your brain is still trying to ‘wake up’. Like a car engine, your brain needs to warm up before it can function optimally.
Other sources would suggest waking up earlier, getting some sunlight, or finding something to laugh about, etc. The idea is to freshen up your mind before you start work, so that you’ll get enough motivation and energy to face yet another demanding Monday.
4. Rethink Mondays
This one is a little tricky because it has a lot to do mind over matter. Ask yourself: why does Monday have to be blue? Just because everyone says so? Well, it doesn’t have to be. Yes, you should ‘reprogram’ the way you see Monday. Monday may be the day we have to drag our feet back to work after an awesome weekend but if you look at it as the beginning of a great week ahead, the thought can empower you and propel you to a great start.
As it is with other things in life, it is a matter of seeing the glass half empty or half full. You can be overwhelmed with all the duties and deadlines you are in charge of, or you can be enthusiastic about the responsibilities and goals thrown upon you.
5. Accept It
Monday blues is like a Chinese finger trap; the more you struggle, the tighter it gets. In other words, fighting the blues only makes it worse. The solution to both Monday blues and the finger trap is surprisingly very similar. For the finger trap, you just need to relax your fingers and push them further in. The trap will then loosen and you’ll get your fingers out. As for your Monday blues, just accept that it’s a dreadful day and that you’ll probably feel a bit tired and down.
Think about it: Monday is already a miserable day and you’re still thinking of ways to stop yourself feeling that way? It will only exhaust you further. Why not go with the flow and cope with the stress? Time passes by quickly when you don’t dwell on it.
After a while, you won’t even remember that Mondays are supposed to be blue. It’s just the day after the weekend when we all have to return to work.
How do you cope with your Monday blues? Share your thoughts about the phenomenon and how you cope with the first-day blues in the comments section. Have a great week ahead!
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