Nisa Chitakasem, founder of Position Ignition
For as long as anyone can remember, Mondays have been getting a bad rep simply for being the beginning of the working week. There are whole songs about how much people hate Mondays. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Your working week as a whole will be a lot more fulfilling if you can learn to love Mondays – and here’s how you can:
Do your prep
One reason why Mondays seem so overwhelming is because we often feel like we’re being thrown in straight at the deep end. After a nice, relaxing weekend we come back into the office on Monday morning and it seems like there are 101 things to do and we don’t know where to start. Avoid this chaos by writing a to-do list on Friday afternoon before you leave the office so that you can look at it come Monday and know what to tackle first.
Enjoy your weekend
Too often we spend our weekend worrying about going back to work on Monday. Worrying about Mondays doesn’t make them any better. It just leaves us drained and stressed at the very start of the week because we didn’t spend the weekend chilling out and having fun. Make a conscious effort to enjoy your weekend by leaving your work at work on Friday and not carrying it around with you in your head for the whole weekend.
Prioritise Sunday self-care
Many of us drink a load of caffeine or alcohol on a Sunday evening, go to bed late and then wonder why we feel so rotten when the alarm clock goes off the next morning. If we treat ourselves with love and respect on Sunday, Monday will be a lot kinder to us. Have a nice, relaxing bath or curl up with a good book on Sunday night, drink plenty of water and go to bed early to get a good night’s sleep.
Establish sleeping patterns
It’s all very well going to bed early on Sunday but if you laid in till 2pm that day, you’re going to find it hard to drop off by 11pm. By all means have a little lie-in on Sunday morning but be sure not to disrupt your sleeping patterns too much over the weekend. A body clock that’s all out of whack does not make for a pleasant Monday.
Make Mondays fun
There’s a difference between not hating Mondays and actively loving them. Inject some fun into your Monday to make the start of the week something to look forward to rather than something to dread. Plan to wear one of your favourite outfits to work or to read the latest edition of a magazine you subscribe to during your commute or coffee break.
Do lunch
It’s important to make time for lunch every day, but it’s even more vital to take a lunch break on Mondays and any other day of the week you find hard going. Do lunch with a mentor, friend or someone else you’ve been meaning to catch up with.
Plan Monday evening
Often the thought of getting home and collapsing on the sofa in front of the TV is enough to get us through Monday, but if we want to enjoy Mondays rather than just get through them, it’s a good idea to actually plan something for Monday evening. That will really give us something to look forward to. Plan to leave work on time and catch a film or show before heading home to bed.
Do enjoyable tasks
In your job, there will be some tasks you enjoy doing more than others. Where possible, arrange your schedule so you get to do your favourite tasks on Mondays. For example, if you like being outside and away from the office, schedule any visits to clients, customers or suppliers for Monday.
Get some air
Speaking of being outside, there’s nothing worse during the summer than spending all weekend in the sun and then returning to a humid, stuffy office on Monday. Get some fresh air throughout the day by walking round the block during one of your tea breaks, eating lunch al fresco or even arranging to have one of your meetings outside.
Be nice
As individuals, we sometimes get so caught up in how much we hate Mondays that we forget that it’s Monday for everyone around us too. By being nice to your colleagues, customers and anyone else you come across at work, you’ll make their Monday a little better, which in turn will give you feel good vibes, as well as encouraging others to return your niceness.
About the author:
Nisa Chitakasem is the Founder of Position Ignition, one of the UK’s leading career consultancy companies which created the Career Ignition Club, a leading-edge online careers support and learning platform. Follow her @PosIgnition and read How to Get The Job You Want for tips on finding the perfect job.
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