Skift Take
Why do Monday’s Suck? Could Mondays actually be the solution to having an amazing week? By approaching your week from a different angle, you can begin to train yourself to actually enjoy Mondays and make them your most productive day of the week. Here’s how...
Do you hate Mondays? All of your life, you are told that Mondays are terrible. They’ve made posters, songs (remember Manic Monday by the Bangles?), gifs and witty graphics about how mondays are the absolute worst day of the week.
2,340. If you work from the age of 20 until you are 65 years old, that is about how many Mondays you will experience at work. That is a lot of Mondays. Do you really want all of those days to suck and be miserable? These are our top tips to start loving Mondays!
1. Check Your Own Attitude
It’s hard to look at ourselves in the mirror and see that the reason we hate Mondays may be caused by us and our negative feelings. Being positive starts with you! When the world around you is talking about how much they hate Mondays, it’s difficult not to get pulled into that negativity. Make the choice to make Monday a positive day for you. You will be surprised how that first step drastically increases your productivity.
2. Make a List and a Plan
Do you start to feel the dread begin to creep in on Sunday afternoon, realizing you have to work the next day? On Sunday, I usually make a list of things on my mind or things I want to accomplish for Monday. That helps keep me focused and on track. Be sure to prioritize your list so that you have a workable action plan.
By staying organized with your tasks and to-do lists, it becomes easier to manage the stress and deadlines. Once I get my thoughts on paper and make a plan for my Monday, I find that I am able to more fully enjoy the remainder of my Sunday.
3. Eat the Frog
Tackle Monday with a vengeance. In a previous post, we talked about decision fatigue and ‘Eating the Frog.’ Use Monday morning as an opportunity to tackle your biggest and nastiest challenge or task. Do it first. It will keep that challenging task (or frog) from jumping around in your mind and hindering your productivity, and will help with your decision fatigue throughout the week, as you keep putting it off. Crossing it off will give you a rush of endorphins and you will feel even more motivated to keep going!
It is wonderful cycle: Getting things done leads to a sense of accomplishment, which leads to endorphins being released, which leads to a great feeling, which leads to being more energetic and wanting to do it again and again, which leads to being happier and loving what you do (and Mondays!).
4. Avoid the Snooze Button
Waking up is really your first task of the day. Don’t postpone it or delay it for a few more minutes. Those few extra minutes are hardly ever quality sleep, anyways. I have to admit that I am terrible at this one. My husband and I have more than one alarm (ok, we have three). Each time we hit the snooze, I get progressively more angry that I have to get up. And that just leads to waking up on the wrong side of the bed. However, when I get up with the first alarm, I notice I feel better. Check off that first task and get up with your alarm and it will set a more positive tone for the whole day.
5. Exercise
Take that extra time you have from not hitting the snooze button to get your blood moving in the morning. Take 15-20 minutes to simply move. It could be a quick workout at home, yoga, walking the dog, or even some simple stretching. You could even use that time to focus yourself and meditate. Whatever you enjoy, make it part of your morning routine every day (definitely don’t skip Monday!) and you will be energized to start the day off right!
6. Make it a Game
By Gamifying Your Stress, you can make Mondays a game! Slay your Monday task list by putting it into a game like Habitica. You can earn points and coins for getting things done, and increase your productivity. I often invite friends to a daily step challenge to encourage everyone to get their blood moving. It is quite popular and motivates us all to move a bit more. Why not do something like this with your friends and coworkers on Monday? A little healthy competition can take your Monday to the next level!
7. Make Mondays Special
While you learn and form the habit of loving Mondays, help yourself by creating something to look forward to. Without affecting your awesome workflow and Monday progress, find something that will assist in your motivation, such as scheduling a quick lunch break at your favorite restaurant with a friend on Mondays. Maybe make Monday the night your and your friends hang out after work. It could even be as simple as pizza and a movie night with the family. (I think scheduling some mid-afternoon #uberpuppies on Mondays would be a great motivation!)
8. Love What You Do
This one may not is not as simple as the others, but take a closer look at why you hate Mondays. Some of the suggestions previously mentioned may not be completely helpful if you don’t like your job or where you work. That solution may take longer to achieve. However, you can stay positive and productive if you take steps to move towards something that motivates you.
In Conclusion
Loving Mondays begins with your frame of mind. It is about loving life and loving what you are doing. You will be surprised how you feel once you begin to be productive and see progress. The feeling of success and progress is contagious and addictive. Contrary to popular belief, Mondays do not suck. You have just been convinced to think they do. Take a look at Mondays from a different angle. They may just become your best friend.
