If you believe that Mondays suck, you’re definitely not alone. Many workers view Monday as the most dreadful day of the week and see Friday as the most exciting day. But why is that?
Scientific studies basically confirm that Mondays suck, but the real question you need to ask yourself is why Mondays suck. Mondays suck because we make them suck. Monday often signals the time when we need to get serious and focus on getting up early, mastering difficult work projects, having tough meetings and other tasks we may not want to do.
As an entrepreneur, you have more control and freedom over how you shape the start of the week. If you want to stop living for Friday and enjoy every day of the week, including Mondays, here are a few things you can do.
Identify What You’re Dreading
If you have a bad case of the Mondays, you owe it to yourself to identify why you feel that way. Why do you start to feel that rut in your stomach on Sunday afternoon? Is it because you’re not looking forward to getting back to that project you’ve been procrastinating on? Do you hate sitting in commuter traffic each morning? Are you feeling just completely overwhelmed with your to-do list?
Come to terms with what exactly turns you off about Mondays and try not to be so vague. Saying you don’t like Mondays because you have to go back to work really won’t help the situation much.
However, identifying that you don’t like feeling overwhelmed or dealing with Monday morning meetings is a good start.
Plan For the Week in Advance
Mondays after often tough because we make them tough. We stay up late Sunday evening and don’t do anything to plan and prepare for the week. Suddenly, Monday’s alarm goes off and we’re instantly bombarded with all the tasks and responsibilities that must be faced that day.
Instead of starting your week off with so much stress, make it easier on yourself. Use Sunday mornings or another dedicated time to focus on planning and preparing for the upcoming week. Prep some meals you can easily warm up, pick out your clothes for each day, go over your calendar, and even consider checking some emails and drafting out responses.
You can literally spend 10 to 15 minutes on the email task and feel way less pressure and overwhelm on Monday morning as a result. These are just a few ideas but whatever you need to do to prepare, make a list and get it done so you’ll feel much more confident when Monday rolls around.
Ease Into Your Work Day With Light Tasks
A few weeks back I mentioned how I was not feeling like much of a morning person anymore. As a result, I started easing into my work days by doing light tasks first instead. If you’re wondering why Mondays suck so much, it may be because you’re loading too much onto your plate.
Lower your expectations for that day and try to knock out some of your smaller but still important tasks out at least for the first few hours. Give yourself 1 or 2 big tasks to accomplish for the day and consider anything else a bonus.
For example, as a freelance writer, I may want to ease into my work by using Mondays to send pitches, follow up with clients, and outline my articles for the week. Tackling my biggest writing project first thing Monday morning may sound super productive, but it won’t be if I’m dreading the work.
Instead, I can outline all my articles for the week and perhaps start the big project later on Monday and still feel just as accomplished.
Focus on a Passion Project
You could be bummed out about Mondays because you’re not focusing on projects that truly interest you. If you have a passion project, don’t wait until the end of the week to spend time working on it. Start your week out fresh by focusing on personal or passion projects first instead.
This may mean working on your ebook, next project, or redesigning your business website. Consider working on whatever makes you feel excited and eager. That way, you can feel motivated and get things accomplished.
Give Yourself Something to Look Forward To
Fridays probably seem so fun and exciting because we tend to give ourselves something to look forward to over the weekend. You can do the same thing on Mondays as well. Make Mondays the day where you treat yourself to your favorite lunch or meet up for happy hour with a friend.
You can even plan to have special breaks or do other simple things that you enjoy to make Mondays more exciting. For example, skipping your Sunday evening T.V. show and watching it a day late on Monday is an easy way to give yourself something to look forward to either during or right after work but make sure it still allows you to be productive and get something done during your active hours.
Stop Living For the Weekend
Yes, Mondays can be busy and hectic, but you can also choose to think more positively about the start of your week. Realize that you have some control over what you do and can lighten up your workload, schedule breaks, and still stick to a routine that makes you feel less stressed and more in control of your life and your schedule.
Life is too short to live only for the weekend or count down the days until Friday. Uncover why Monday sucks in terms of your current situation and how you can change it for the better.
How do you make Mondays more tolerable and actually a day that you look forward to?
Choncé Maddox
Choncé Maddox is a professional writer who recently left her job in the web design industry to produce killer content and manage her own writing business full time. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs be more productive and create a life they love by doing fulfilling work. On the side, she runs a podcast and blogs about getting out of debt at MyDebtEpiphany.com.