How to love Mondays

You open your eyes, roll over and hit the snooze button again.

You get out of bed, get dressed, grab a cup of coffee and a piece of toast and you’re out the door. As you drive to work and get stuck in morning traffic, you think to yourself “Ugh.. I hate Mondays.”

I get it. For years and years, I was one of those people who absolutely hates Mondays. I’d start feeling anxious Sunday evening and try to make my weekends last as long as possible. Today, whenever I scroll through my Instagram feed and see one of those “if Monday had a face” posts, I cringe.

Your Mondays are meant to be as positive, happy and amazing as your Fridays. A new week brings new opportunities, a fresh start.

So what do you if Monday is your least-favorite day of the week?

START THE NIGHT BEFORE

One of the reasons why so many of us don’t like Mondays is because we’re pretty much never ready to let go of the weekend. It’s that feeling that you had as a kid on a Sunday evening; the sudden realization that tomorrow’s Monday and that it’s time to go back to school. Want to enjoy your Mondays? You have to start the night before- Sunday evening. Make sure you prep for the week, so that come Monday, you don’t have to worry about things like groceries, clean laundry, getting gas on your way to work. Wash your dishes, clean up your kitchen… If you prep the night before, your morning will be stress-free and you can start your week on a positive note.

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

…on a Sunday evening. During the weekend a lot of us like to treat ourselves and indulge a little. This also means that we often wake up tired and bloated the next day which makes us feel sluggish and slow. If you love to indulge on Sunday evenings, make sure to control your portions and avoid eating right before going to sleep. Do your best to adapt some healthy Sunday-night habits, so that you can feel well-rested, energized and ready to take on a brand new week.

HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO

Who says you can only have fun during the weekend? Every single one of your days should be filled with as much passion and energy as your Saturdays. Make Monday a date night- go see a movie with your partner, or make dinner together; invite your girlfriends over for a little girls’ night in- do something fun. Buy a new book or a movie and don’t start reading it/watching it until Monday- make sure to have something fun to look forward to. When you add these little “weekend” treats to your day, your Mondays will be more fun, exciting and less stressful.

Also, see:

• Life-changing Morning Rituals
• Affirmations to Kick-Start Your Day
• Things to Focus on When You’ve Lost Your Motivation
• It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

GET AN EARLY START

I cannot imagine not getting an early start to my days. I get to spend at least half an hour in peace and quiet before anyone else wakes up. I drink my tea, I write in my journal, set my intentions for the day and I actually get to relax a little before the day officially “starts”. Imagine being able to make the best of your mornings; never being in a rush, maybe taking a little walk before leaving for work. Your mornings set the tone for your entire day, so it’s up to to make sure that they’re as bright and happy as possible. Create a routine you look forward to, every single morning. Practice a little self-care. If you have trouble with getting up early or procrastinating, I highly suggest you check out The 5 Second Rule book by Mel Robbins.

SHIFT YOUR FOCUS

If you feel that you’re a Friday person stuck in a Monday world, you need to shift your focus, now. Don’t talk about how much you don’t like Mondays, don’t complain or share silly “I hate Mondays” quotes on Facebook – there’s a reason why you never see anyone who’s happy and successful do these things. Monday is going to come anyway- regardless of how much you dread it, and it’s up to make it a good, positive and productive day.

I once read somewhere that if you “hate” Mondays, you must be very unhappy with your job. I don’t think it’s as simple as that- not everyone who’s unhappy at work can just get up, quit and leave. I personally never dread going to work and haven’t since I was a teen. Does this mean that things always go nice and smooth at work, or that I never get stressed or overwhelmed?

No.

It means that I have developed a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career (Liam Neeson style) that help me deal with things like pressure, negativity or dealing with difficult clients.

Not every single one of your days will be perfect; there will be days when you will feel upset, frustrated- there will be people who will disappoint you- it’s up to you to make your life as fun and happy as possible- starting with your Mondays.