What Can We Do About Mondays?
Have you heard the Bangles’ song, Manic Mondays?
“Have to catch an early train
Got to be to work by 9”
“It’s just another Manic Monday.
Wish it was Sunday
That’s my fun day.”
It’s universal. Mondays get a bad rap. On Sunday nights, people everywhere begin dreading their start to the work week. Apparently there is even a term for it, “Sunday Scaries”. Why is that? Why do we not look forward to the start of a new week, a new beginning, a clean slate?
Do we hate our work so much that we dread returning? Or, are we battling the structure and demands of the week? More of us find ourselves running around, carting kids to school and sports, battling traffic, and trying to remain sane all the while. Meetings take up time and projects are due. How do we fit in time for ourselves or a workout during our overly scheduled days?
Perhaps we need to reschedule our week. Or, perhaps we just need to reframe our minds.
Either way, I propose we change Mondays.
What if to start the week, you do so slowly? When my colleagues and I were forced to teach on a hybrid schedule (Monday and Tuesday at home while Wednesday through Friday in person school), we enjoyed our Mondays. We felt like it was a slow start to the week, and we rolled into our projects at a more relaxed pace. We felt less pressure and were more engaged.
Or, what if to start the week, you commit to a fun activity? I remember when I was a child, and my parents would make plans to take me somewhere special after school on a weekday. You know, you plan to go out to dinner, a ballgame, or out for ice cream? I would also look forward to that day, and I would have much more energy after school when something fun was planned. I was not stuck in the dreaded cycle of routine.
Does Monday have to be the start of your new week? Many of us, myself included, have no choice but to re-enter the work week on Monday morning. Is there a way, however, to have a Monday or two off during the month? Could you create longer weekends with your paid time off?
I have a friend who recently went into business for herself, and she just made the decision that she would never work on Fridays. At first, she worried that would impact her ability to retain clients, but she quickly learned her decision did not matter at all. Are you able to make the same decision about your Mondays?
A few other questions to help you combat the dread of Mondays:
Why not make Monday the day you celebrate instead of Friday?
What if you envisioned Mondays as the start of something new? Maybe you start a new project that you’re looking forward to on Mondays?
What if you plan a favorite activity for Monday?
What if you plan your favorite meal for Monday? Or go out to dinner every Monday night?
What can you do to add structures and routines into your Mondays to boost your energy?
If you can tackle your mindset for a positive Monday, what will happen next? Will you accomplish more? Will you stop dreading the work week?
