Do you start each week cranky and tired ? Do you spend Sunday night lamenting about the coming morning ? If you dread Mondays, there are ways to make that day of the week easier on yourself. Consider these steps to get each week off to a better start .
Changes to Make at Home
1. Use Sunday nights wisely. Get a head start on Monday morning by getting ready the evening before. You’ll have less to do in the morning if you prepare your lunch the night before and lay out your clothes. Put your office keys and any files you brought home by the door to avoid searching for them at the last minute.
2. Stay on a regular sleep schedule on weekends. It’s easier to get up early on Monday if you go to bed and get up at about the same time every day. Sleeping an extra hour on Sunday is fine. Staying up all night watching movies and then rising at noon makes it difficult for your body to adjust.
3. Make time for breakfast. You’ll have more energy if you eat a nutritious breakfast. Grab a protein shake or breakfast sandwich to stay on schedule and get the fuel you need.
4. Work together as a family. Take a load off yourself and help your kids learn to take responsibility by putting them in charge of age appropriate tasks. Let them take the first stab at assembling their backpack and praise them when you verify that that they’ve remembered all their homework and supplies.
Changes to Make at the Office
1. Get organized before you leave the office on Fridays. It’s amazing how much we can forget over the weekend. Write yourself a report on Friday highlighting the projects you need to tackle and the calls you need to make in the coming week.
5. Give yourself something to look forward to. Make Monday special by sprinkling a little cinnamon in your coffee or wearing your favorite brooch. Bring in a flower from your garden to display by your phone.
6. Schedule tasks for when you’re most efficient. Work with your own rhythms. If you’re an early bird, get cracking right away. If you know that you perform better after you’ve had some time to warm up, save the heavy thinking for later in the day.
7. Accommodate the schedules of others. Studies show that many of your colleagues and clients will be more responsive to communications sent during the middle of the week. Learn to expect delays and hold off on items that are less time sensitive.
Changes to Make in Your Thinking
1. Shift your focus. If you start feeling apprehensive about returning to the office, turn your attention to more constructive subjects. Concentrate on the positive steps you can take to tone down your negative emotions.
8. Accentuate the positive. Remind yourself of what you like about your job and the people you work with. Help everyone have a great day by handing out a sincere compliment or sharing an inspiring story from the morning news.
9. Learn from experience. Setbacks and unexpected outcomes are a part of life. Even if your computer dies or your boss criticizes your work, think of it as a learning experience.
10. Look forward to the weekend. Monday lasts for only 24 hours. Give yourself a boost by getting theater tickets or inviting friends over for next weekend.
You can make friends with Monday even if you still like Friday better . With a little planning and some positive thinking, you’ll banish the Monday blues and become more productive and less stressed.
