Struggling to get out of bed on a Monday morning? Feeling tired and unmotivated to start the week? You’re not alone! Monday is commonly known to be the worst day of the week. It always creeps up on us just as we start feeling relaxed.
The good news is, by understanding the reasons and changing some habits, you can take control of your emotional state of mind instead of the mind controlling you.
What’s going on?
Our week is packed with to do’s – whether in our job, as a stay-at-home parent, an entrepreneur or a student. Back to back meetings, phone calls, emails, studying, keeping up with our household, and so on – the list of things to get done is endless.
And so we put all our hope into the weekend where we can finally work on our personal things; do something we enjoy, go shopping, meet friends and treat ourselves. The weekend is the time to unwind and get rest. And yet, the latter rarely happens. Our unreasonable expectation of making the most of the weekend leaves us with constantly chasing for something else.
Over and over again, we feel tired, overworked and not able to enjoy life. This leaves a mark on us, which we refer to as Monday blues.
Why bother?
The “blues mind-set” has a negative impact on everything we do. We are less productive, less motivated, pessimistic, less creative, less engaged and learn slowly – to mention just a few effects. Even worse, it is contagious! When we’re unhappy, people around us get affected and it makes it difficult for them to be happy.
Techniques
Here are my top picks of techniques that help to beat the Monday blues.
Get organised before Monday hits you. Finish the dreadful tasks on Friday and get rid of any uncomfortable to do’s, such as that email that you wanted to send to your boss. On Sunday, get mentally prepared for the week ahead of you. On Monday, update your diary first thing so you know what to expect during the week. Decide what’s a top priority and what you can let go. Include fun activities, social time and breaks.
Schedule down time. The benefit of mentally and emotionally recharging is huge. So ensure to schedule proper lunch breaks every day, perhaps a longer mid-week break and treat yourself to enough time to relax on weekends. This helps to keep you from feeling constantly stressed and overwhelmed. Can you eliminate some of your activities and outsource household stuff?
Get into the right headspace by doing workout and practicing mindfulness. An active lifestyle improves your mood and confidence. It also helps to detach from a stressful day and leaves you feeling happier and more relaxed. Equally important is the practice of mindfulness, which helps to relieve stress and improve sleep. Check out my beginner’s guide to mindfulness.
Keep your sleeping patterns. It’s hard to resist sleeping in on a weekend, particularly when you had a busy week. However, it comes at a high cost! Messing with your sleeping rhythm can take up to a week to get back on track. Sticking to the same routine every day though helps to feel rested and energised.
The most difficult one is to find the issue that is causing the Monday blues. It’s likely that you’re not fulfilled at work, don’t get along with your colleagues, have lack of confidence or miss something essential in your personal life. Take some time to really understand what’s bothering you so you can consider your next steps. It may just be a tiny change in your daily routine or it may be time to change your job entirely.
Living for the weekend sets unreasonable expectations and frankly, life is too short for constant disappointment! Instead, we need to find a way to integrate joy, rest and mindfulness into every day life.
Personal & career change coaching 