Oh, Monday mornings. They are a necessary evil -- but many people find themselves unmotivated or even mildly stressed when the workweek begins. This is understandable. After all, you just had a great, relaxing weekend and you don't want it to end.
However, the weekend can't go on forever. Unless you're on vacation or taking a sick day, you have to tough it out and head into the office. The "Monday blues" are a real thing for a lot of people, but there are ways to overcome the anxiety of Mondays so that you're energized, refreshed and ready to take on the morning.
Here are some ways to beat the Monday blues and start the work week off right:
Don't Slack Off on Friday
One of the main reasons people feel overwhelmed on Mondays is because they let their weekend start a little too early on Friday. If you have work piled up from last week, you aren't getting this week started on the right foot. No one wants work tasks hanging over their head during the weekend anyway -- after all, you're supposed to be relaxing!
Think About Things That You Love About Your Job
It's OK to feel a little bummed that the weekend is over, but one way to combat these feelings is to think about the things you enjoy about your job to begin with. Changing your mindset from negative to positive is always a good way to approach almost all things in life anyway.
Save the Most Challenging Tasks For Later in the Week
Unless it's a must-do, save the cold-calling, tricky sales pitches, tough conversations with colleagues, or other challenging work tasks for another day. Mondays are tough enough, so don't make it any harder on yourself. Instead, take this time to edit your files or email folders, or set goals for the things you want to accomplish this week so that you have a game plan.
Keep Up Your Exercise Routine
Physical fitness is one of the best all-natural stress relievers out there. However, we all tend to slack off on our workouts during the weekend, which could be contributing to your heightened stress, especially if you're normally active. You don't necessarily have to hit the gym every morning, but do try your best to make sure your weekends are active.
Make It a Priority to Do Fun Things During the Week
We love the weekend because it's a great time to unplug, recharge and enjoy things we love to do. However, these activities aren't limited to Saturdays and Sundays. Make sure to space out your fun time so that Monday morning isn't such a drag -- that way, you'll have something to look forward to a lot sooner!
Get a Good Night's Rest on Sunday
Monday mornings are tough enough, so don't make it harder on yourself by having one too many mimosas at brunch, staying out too late or binge-watching Netflix. Sure, it's technically still the weekend, but the last thing you want is to feel groggy and exhausted at the start of the workweek.
Give Yourself a Little Treat
It doesn't have to be anything fancy -- just something that will lift your spirits a bit. For instance, instead of making coffee at home, grab a nice latte at a specialty coffee store on your way into work. Or, if you treat yourself to one lunch out per week, be sure to make it happen on Monday so that you have something to look forward to.
Get Outside
Workers tend to overload themselves with too much at the start of week, which makes sense. You've had a couple days off and you want to hit the ground running. However, taking breaks is actually better for your work performance in the long run -- rushed, stressed work is usually error-prone and not as impressive as the work you turn in when you've had a chance to take a break.
Get outside, go for a walk, meet up with a friend for lunch, run an errand or even go to the gym for a quick workout to get those endorphins flowing.
If Needed, Have a Monday Intervention
If every Sunday night you have a feeling of dread for the next day, then you might have more of a problem than just the occasional Monday morning blues. Feeling continuously stressed out about work every day isn't great for your mental or physical well-being, so figure out what is making you feel so anxious about your job. Or, start to look for another one!