Today I’d like to talk about everybody’s favorite time of the week… Monday morning! 🙂 Monday morning can be difficult for many people, the sudden jolt of getting up early, returning to work, getting children off to school, battling traffic, and doing chores that you don’t necessarily feel like doing. We all struggle at times but there are things we can do to make them so much better. Here are four suggestions to make the beginning of the week bearable, maybe even pleasurable.
1. Change your attitude and change your expectations.
A large part of why so many people hate Monday mornings is because we have been conditioned culturally to feel that way. There are so many jokes and sayings, television programs and movies as well as just general chatter from family and friends about the Monday Blues that reinforce a negative attitude towards getting up and getting going at the beginning of the week.
Change this attitude by deciding that Monday morning is a good thing! Think of it like New Year’s Day every week where you get a fresh start in life. You get fifty-two of them a year, so why not look forward to them and make Mondays a day of joy and new resolutions? Let the first morning of the week set the tone for the coming days. On Sunday evening take a little while to be grateful for the week ahead. Visualize yourself getting stronger and more capable, more joyful, happier, and healthier as the week begins. Changing your attitude and expectations can make each week a new gift that you can truly treasure.
2. My second piece of advice is to prepare.
You can make Monday so much easier by easing yourself into the week. Think about making some compromises and preparations for the week ahead over the weekend. For instance, you may need to get up early for work or the school run. If you stay in bed late on Sunday morning, you’ll have trouble sleeping that night and therefore getting up early on Monday could be challenging and tiring. Think about making small adjustments to your weekend schedule to allow for such things.
If you know you’re not a morning person then think about making some preparations for things such as lunches, bags, and clothes on Sunday ready for Monday morning and the week to come. A few minutes of preparation can make all the difference to your stress levels leaving you calm, organized, and confident for the coming week.
3. Here’s another suggestion, try to get up a little earlier.
This may be counter-intuitive for some people who feel tired on Mondays, but sometimes less time in bed can leave you feeling more refreshed. If you get up 30 minutes or an hour earlier you’ll have more time to do everything you need. Consider a good breakfast, a quiet cup of tea or coffee, doing some exercise, meditation, or breathing exercises to help your relaxation and motivation for the rest of the day. Think about what makes you feel good in the morning and try to allow yourself time to do it. Getting up late and rushing around can leave you exhausted and stressed, even with the benefit of extra sleep.
4. Look after yourself over the weekend.
This is probably the most important of all – if you can find the time to get some quality rest, enjoyment, good quality food, and exercise over the weekend then you are likely to start the week restored and ready for whatever it throws at you. Remember that drinking a lot of alcohol and staying out late can be fun but you’ll need time to recover from that before knuckling back down to work, especially as you get older. Self-care, loving yourself, caring for your body and mind, and just generally being kinder to yourself will reap huge benefits and set you up with plenty of energy for the week ahead.
Final Thoughts
In the end, Mondays are a blessing – they’re a sign that you survived the week and the weekend to see another one, you’re alive and kicking, and here to see the beginning of another week. Enjoy it, treasure it. Life is so fleeting so make the most of every day. And yes, that includes Mondays 🙂
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