5 Ways to Overcome Monday Blues & Own the Day

5 Ways to Overcome Monday Blues & Own the Day.

“If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self”– Napoleon Hill.

By the time Monday morning rolls around, I am usually on my commute into work when my Instagram feed floods with posts about Monday Blues. “This is the Mondayest Monday that ever Mondayed” or “Keep calm and pretend it’s not Monday” quotes saturate my feed. Monday blues are so prevalent, that it has become a cultural phenomenon and a topic of conversation to be had whilst waiting in the Monday morning coffee line.

I am the first to admit that I haven’t always enjoyed Mondays. In fact, I used to dread Mondays so much, that I ended up ruining half of my Sunday just having to think about going into work the next day! My issue didn’t help when I couldn’t get to sleep on Sunday night. I used to start stressing about all the things I had to get done once I got into the office.

I recently decided I had to quickly snap out of this bad Sunday evening/ Monday morning habit and just grab Monday by the horns. So, how does one beat the Monday blues and begin to enjoy Monday?

You can start by:

1. PREPARING FOR MONDAY ON FRIDAY

I am usually one of the last ones to leave the office on a Friday. Whilst it is tempting to smoke bomb and leave that extra hour earlier on a Friday evening, I know that by taking the extra time to wrap things up, it will make my life so much easier when Monday morning rolls around. Not only do I take the time to wrap up any outstanding tasks or emails, but I also ensure I write my ‘To-Do’ list for Monday morning so I know exactly what I need to get done for the week. This really helps me reduce my Sunday night anxiety.

2. R & R

Rest and relaxation are the vital ingredients to a happy, successful and well-balanced life. I do my best to find a good balance between going out and doing things, but also enjoying some quiet down-time. Whether it is getting a massage, meditating, reading a good book or catching up on the latest Netflix series, block out some time before the weekend is over to rest and relax.

3. GET PLENTY OF SLEEP & RISE EARLY

I find that if I don’t get a good night’s sleep on Sunday, I wake up grumpy and it throws me off for the entire week- I never seem to be able to catch up on that extra sleep throughout the week. Don’t plan to do too much on a Sunday evening and if you do, make sure you get home at a reasonable time to still get a good night’s sleep.

My best and most productive days are those where I rise early. I follow a stringent morning routine which you can read about here. My alarm is set for 5:30am which allows me plenty of time to get ready and have a comfortable, stress-free commute into work. I am much more productive when I arrive to the office early, as it allows me that extra time to be really effective at work, before being bombarded with meetings, emails and phone calls. These are my favourite kinds of days- I feel like an unstoppable force!

4. DRESS WELL

I know it may sound trivial, but dressing well on a Monday helps you to start the week on a confident and positive note. Why don’t you wear your favourite pair of heels or wear the new outfit you bought over the weekend?

Rather than starting the week looking like you have literally just rolled out of bed and thrown your hair into a bun, try putting in a little extra effort to make yourself feel confident and great. When you look good, you feel good!

5. LIVE POSITIVELY

Start the week off on a positive note. Be grateful for the job you have and for the opportunities which have been presented to you. Someone else will probably kill to have the ‘problems’ you do. Work is amazing. It keeps our minds active, challenges us, rewards us and is the gateway to living the life we want to live! If you hate your job, do something about it! Complaining isn’t going to change the situation. Aim to think positively and live positively. When you do, it opens your mind up to some pretty incredible things.

HOW TO ENJOY MONDAY

When this post goes live, it will be Monday morning and time to own the day! What are you going do to enjoy Monday and to start your week off on a positive note? I would love to hear your thoughts, leave your comments below.