When I first started to live with my husband it came as quite a surprise to learn that he rarely, if ever, experiences the Monday Blues. To put this into context, we returned home yesterday from a couples weekend away trip, where we spent the weekend playing games and engaging in thought provoking conversations with several other couples. Although it wasn’t a physically demanding weekend, it definitely required a lot of energy, both mentally and emotionally. By the time we returned home, all I wanted to do was to extend the weekend by another day, and catch up on some much needed rest. When I asked my husband how he felt about the start of a new week and going to work on Monday, in true Laolu style he said, ‘I can’t wait, I’m looking forward to it!’
With the exception of returning from vacation, I’ve got to say my husbands enthusiasm for the Monday start has definitely brushed off on me. I’ve learned to look forward to Mondays, and believe it or not I actually love them! Mondays for me are a day of motivation, if I start my week on a strong and positive note, there’s no doubt the rest of my week will be just as amazing.
Here are five essential steps that I take to fight the Monday Blues, and set myself up for a smashing week!
1- IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
Understanding why you experience the Monday Blues is extremely important. You may have gotten used to ‘hating Mondays’ or dreading them, but this is not something you should have to live with. One of the ways that I overcame the Monday Blues was to identify the need for a career change. I dreaded Mondays because I was unhappy at work, and until I identified this and did something about it, Mondays were a day I did not look forward to.
Whether it’s your career, not getting enough sleep, or another aspect of your life that makes you dread Mondays, writing a list of the things that make you anxious about this day, will help you identify the problem, so that you can put tools in place to help make tackling the day that bit easier.
2- BE INSPIRED
Surrounding yourself with sources of inspiration and motivation can truly transform your Monday. From the very minute I wake up on a Monday morning I create an atmosphere I love that inspires me to feel good. Often this involves playing some background music and lighting some candles whilst I get ready (yes I do this on a Monday!), and I also wake up a few minutes earlier just so that I have more time to get glammed up (more on why this is important here), so that I step into the new week looking and feeling 100.
I take this atmosphere with me throughout the day by listening to motivational podcasts during my commute into work (Myleik to the rescue!), it makes the world of a difference especially if you have to brave London transport on a busy Monday morning! These small motivational tasks are great for mood lifting and will have you loving Mondays in no time.
3- THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO
One of the reasons I used to hate Mondays was because I was constantly thinking about all of the difficult and challenging things I had to get done during the course of the week. It wasn’t until I started to bullet journal, that I realised that this was the wrong approach. Instead of thinking about the things I did not look forward to, I started to make a list every Sunday of positive things I had going on during the week. Soon enough this became a habit, and I even began to purposefully schedule fun activities into my week, such as dinners with friends, manicures, mid-week pampering, just so that I had as many things to look forward to as possible. This has been a very powerful technique for me and one that I would highly recommend.
4- PLAN ON FRIDAY
To help combat the anxiety of the Monday workload, preparing in advance is a must. If you don’t want to start your week with a tonne of work and unpleasant tasks, getting as much of them done the Friday before will make the start of the week that bit better. Tasks such as making sure that your calendar is up to date, and scheduling your week in advance, will help you to better manage your time and get things done in an organised manner without feeling overwhelmed.
5- GET YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP
Last but not least, a lack of sleep/rest is one of the most common reasons for the Monday Blues. Going to sleep earlier on a Sunday will not only help you feel well rested, it may also make it easier for you to wake up a few minutes earlier, to meditate or squeeze in a few minutes of exercise before you head off to work. Having this extra time can help you to feel more centered and in charge of your day.
