6 EASY WAYS TO STOP HATING MONDAYS

Do you hate Mondays? Instead of hating Monday, it can (and should!) be the best and most powerful day of your week.

It seems like every Sunday night as I scroll through Instagram and Facebook, my feeds are riddled with memes about dreading Monday. I imagine if one thing could unite our divided world, it would be a hatred of Mondays.

Are you one of these people? Do you hate Mondays?

I know I used to. And when I say hate, I mean I would legitimately start getting anxiety about Monday on Saturday afternoons– before I was even half way into my weekend! It was worse when I had a job that I didn’t enjoy and when I first started working after the birth of our son.

I was living for the weekend.  I eventually realized that hating five out of the seven days in the week, and feeling anxiety about those five days on two days I was supposed to enjoy, was really no way to live. It was not an option for me anymore. No one should live the majority of life not enjoying it. So, I made a vow to myself that I was going to start loving Mondays.

I started making changes. The first thing I did was quit my job that was not a good fit for my family. Since we are paying off $600k of student loan debt, I didn’t really have the option of not working. Frankly, we need my income. But I found a better job with better benefits and a MUCH better atmosphere. I found a preschool that my son loves. It is close to work so I can pop in here and there for lunch or to visit my little guy.

But the most important thing I did? Before I changed jobs and found a preschool close to my work, I started doing something else that made all the difference in the world. And it was so simple. And it made the biggest difference in my life. It helped me be more productive. It helped me work more effectively. It gave me more time to devote to my side hustles, earning more money to pay off our debt. I felt more calm about life generally. That bled into my relationships with my husband, son, extended family and friends. I noticed that I was feeling more compassionate and patient with the ones around me. I had more time to read, pray, and meditate. I had more time to exercise and the energy to do so.

And all I did was this–  I started waking up early on Monday mornings.

Really. It was that simple. But waking up early has allowed me to tackle my day instead of it tackling me. And that sets the tone for my entire week. I cannot overstate how taking control of my life in this way has made my life so much better. I am able to accomplish more during the week– not only because I have the extra hours to work in the morning (which is a huge benefit) but it simply gets my mind right so that I am more focused on my goals and otherwise productive. So keep that in mind as you review the list below.

Monday shouldn’t  be dreaded. Monday is a day to start fresh. It should be a celebration of new and exciting opportunities. Who will you meet this week? What goals will you accomplish? What tasks will you knock out at work?

Here are 6 easy things that you can do to start LOVING Mondays. And I mean it! You can actually LOVE the otherwise most dreaded day of the week. Here’s how.

1. WAKE UP EARLIER THAN NORMAL ON MONDAY MORNING.

   By extension, this also includes going to bed earlier than normal Sunday night. This will give you time in the morning to take it free and easy. I purposely wake up before my family so that I have some “me time” on Monday morning. I read, pray, sketch, play the piano or guitar, or do whatever feels right to keep the mood mellow in the morning. After that, I work on side hustles or read information to help me excel in my field as a lawyer. This has made the greatest difference in my life.

2. GET READY FOR MONDAY ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

   Part of what makes Sunday night so anxiety filled is that so many of us are running around cleaning and making lunches and trying to get ready for Monday and before we know it, we’re going to bed way later than we wanted to, trying to cling on to these last moments of the weekend. If you use your Sunday mornings or afternoons wisely, while your home environment is calm, Sunday nights can be a breeze, spent relaxing with your family, setting goals for the upcoming week, or devoting time to a hobby.

3. HAVE A FRESH OUT LOOK.

   Make a commitment to yourself that your Monday will be positive. Think of Monday like New Year’s Day– an opportunity to start fresh with new things coming your way.

4. CLEAN THE CLUTTER BEFORE MONDAY.

   Take ten to fifteen minutes at some point on Sunday to clean up any superficial messes in your house. If there are dishes in the sink, put them in the dishwasher. If there are clothes laying out, put them in the closet. Literally set a timer and get everyone in your house involved. For those minutes, everyone can clean as fast as they can. Clutter is notorious for causing feelings of stress and anxiety– it’s distracting, it signals to our brains that we work is never done, creates feelings of guilt,

5. CREATE A MONDAY TRADITION.

   Do something fun on Mondays that you don’t do on other days. It can be something as simple as starting the day with a fun beverage or budgeting for lunch out on Monday– anything that adds a pep in your step and spices up the day.

6. IF SOMETHING IS NOT WORKING, CHANGE IT.

   I had a job that was simply not working for me and my family. It was causing a lot of stress in our household. Like, more than normal Monday anxiety. It was more like Monday dread that started on Saturday mornings. I was missing out on the weekend because I was feeling stressed about the week ahead. I knew I really only had two options– figure out how to make work better or quit the job. I tried changing a couple of things at work. After that, it became pretty apparent that things were not going to work out there. And so I quit. And I found a job that I love love love. Sometimes things just need to be changed to ease that Monday anxiety. Never forget that you are the master of your fate.

 

Mondays can be the best and most powerful day of your week– it is up to you!

Do you dread Mondays? What things do you do to make Mondays a little easier? 

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