“So much universe and so little time.”
― Terry Pratchett
What if I tell you that there’s a magical land where Mondays are the best days of the week?
Anyone who played “Heroes of Might and Magic” knows this happy place.
Now, what if I tell you that Mondays can be the best days of your week in real life?
Monday Blues are real but not invincible
I get your skepticism.
Monday’s the day you go back to school or work.
It marks the end of the 48 hours you have to do whatever you want.
There’s even a fancy name for the negative feelings around the start of the week – Monday Blues.
Research (and memes) shows that “Monday sucks!” is one of the rare statements humanity can unite around.
Well, the week has to start somewhere – not much to do about it.
However, you can do a ton about you being happier with Mondays.
You don’t have to be one of them. Click to Tweet
Monday is the name of a day in the week, not the name of a problem.
There is no reason for you to waste 12+ hours in regret, wishing for a better day.
Make Monday one son of a better day. Hell, make it the best day of your week.
Come with me to the “land of what ifs” to show you how.
What if your Monday starts differently?
Do you wake up wishing to do anything but: go through e-mails, deal with tasks you procrastinated on Friday, study, or work?
Here is what you can do about it:
- Wake up early on Monday
- Save something you love for the first thing you do on Monday morning
- Block the first working hour in your calendar as “not available” every Monday morning
The thing you love can be your favorite breakfast or sport.
In my case, it’s a gorgeous cappuccino and an hour’s walk in the park with my dog.
It can also be reading, quiet reflection, practically anything – you know best.
Now, this is important:
I drink a cappuccino and walk an hour every day, but cinnamon and my favorite route for walks are saved for Monday morning only.
That’s it! Make time for something you love and cook yourself a fabulous Monday morning.
Okay, but there is still a lot more of Monday coming at you.
It’s like a gigantic train running to hit your face at 300 miles per hour.
Don’t worry; we can move fast, too.
What if your Monday ends differently?
Do you spend your Monday afternoon agonizing that it’s only Monday and you already feel exhausted?
Here’s what you can do about it:
- Finish work/your duties on time
- Plan something exciting for Monday evening
To finish work on time means to remind yourself that the week just started.
You have four more working days to complete your tasks.
Say “no” to anything that might ruin your evening plans or ask for help.
I have a slot in my calendar that marks me unavailable from 6 PM to 11 PM for every working Monday in the year (yup, it’s me – of course, I do).
Now, this is important:
You have a lot of control over how you spend it.
As for the exciting part – it can be a date, a movie, or playing a new game; you name it.
I often start every new anime I want to watch or new game I want to play on Monday. That’s also valid for the new books I want to read.
That’s it! Make time for fresh entertainment on Monday evening and cook yourself a great end of the first working day.
Alright, we saved the morning and the evening, but what about the last chunk of our grumpy Monday?
Don’t worry; you can tackle this blob of ambiguous annoyance with all the duties you still have.
What if your Monday duties are enjoyable?
Okay, I hear you – this sounds like mission impossible.
Duties are duties; if they were enjoyable, we wouldn’t be having the Monday problem in the first place.
So, I offer two things you can do about it:
- Save the meetings with your favorite colleagues, classmates, or teachers for Monday
- Plan at least one project, task, or subject you enjoy doing with people for Monday
On Monday, I can’t wait to meet my distributed team. I also plan the coaching sessions (I love the coaching aspects of my job and the people there) on Monday.
I don’t do administrative work on Mondays. That thing is for Wednesdays!
Now, this is important:
That’s it! Make Monday the day you meet with the people you like but rarely see out of the office or school.
Work or study the subjects you enjoy most, and voila!
You just made Monday a better day or even the best day of your week.
In conclusion
Monday is just a name for a day in the week.
You can be moody or happy on any day – the choice is yours.
I suggest you play with “What if” when you want to have a better day.
“What if” is useless when it comes to the past, but it gives you tons of options for the future.
Use all the options you have for quality time in your life.
You deserve to be in a good mood, even on Mondays.
Stay happy,
Diana
