How was your Sunday?
Did you enjoy it?
Did you say 'Urgh, tomorrow is Monday!'
How would you like to claim your Sunday back? To just enjoy the moment. Not worrying or thinking about Monday?
Are you with me?!
1. Create awareness of what thoughts you have when the feeling of dread comes in. You know when you realize "OMG, it's late Sunday afternoon, that means I'm that much closer to Monday!"
- Is it because you have to get up eary in the morning?
- Is it because you have so much work piled up and you don't know where to start?
- Is it becasue you have to deal with people you don't like?
Whatever the reason, don't make it about Monday. Focus on the thing you're dreading about and find a solution or work around it.
- Sleep early on Sundays. Set an alarm to go to bed on Sundays.
- You have so much work piled up? Make a task list on friday and know exactly what you need to do when you get to work on Monday.
- You don't want to deal with people you don't like? Create a self-care routine on Sunday to clear and calm your mind.
These are only examples and suggestions and feel free to figure out what works best for you. And you might have to tweak it a few times to get the best results, so don't give up if the first thing you try doesn't work. By addressing the issue directly instead of associating the issue with Monday, can help you end your weekend with less anxiety.
2. Stay off your email on Sundays. Don’t look at it.
If you do (because not knowing what’s happening at work will make you more anxious which is the opposite of what you want), choose to look at it one time in the morning. The earlier the better.
Process it, work out what needs to be done for Monday, and then move on with the rest of your day. Constantly checking messages means you’re basically working and not doing what you had planned to do on Sundays. Once you made your plan of action for whatever you saw on the email, there is nothing else you need to do.
If you do (because not knowing what’s happening at work will make you more anxious which is the opposite of what you want), choose to look at it one time in the morning. The earlier the better.
Process it, work out what needs to be done for Monday, and then move on with the rest of your day. Constantly checking messages means you’re basically working and not doing what you had planned to do on Sundays. Once you made your plan of action for whatever you saw on the email, there is nothing else you need to do.
3. Create an enjoyable weekday routine can get you excited about the days to come.
Your routine now is:
Your routine now is:
- Sunday you dread work
- Monday you drag yourself to work
- Tuesday you’re wondering when the week will end
- Wednesday is hump day and you tell yourself 2 more days
- Thursday you’re thinking one more day
- Friday at 3 you’re checked out and waiting for the clock to hit 5
- Saturday YAY! A full day of not thinking about work!
Right now, you’re only looking forward to Friday afternoons during the work week. Why not make it so you’re looking forward to something for every day of the week?
- Monday Movie Night
- Tuesdays Axe Throwing
- Wednesday Wine & Cheese Tasting
- Thursday Talks with Jen (I don’t know a Jen but maybe you do)
I don’t need to give you any ideas for Friday to Sunday. I think you have plenty of ideas for those days. 😄 Make it fun. Change it up. Plan out your week so you can start enjoying the non-working hours. Just because it is a work day, it doesn’t mean it has to evolve about work. You still have your life outside of work. Enjoy it!
4. Go in with a positive mindset. I know, this might sound like fluff to some people. But hear me out.
If you keep thinking Monday sucks, it is going to suck because you anticipate it to be, and you’re seeking out the suckiness from Mondays. That’s when you say ’See! I told you Monday sucks!’.
If you don’t want to be a chippery Monday person, don’t. Go into Monday with no expectations. It is just a workday. Reframing your thoughts for Mondays will lessen the concerns on Sundays for Mondays.
And if you are able to elevate your mood, go in with a mindset of ’This is going to be a good week!’. Then you’re going to seek out the goodness of the week and make it a good week like you did with the sucky things when you thought Monday sucked.
Put a reminder on your phone, put a sticky note on your desktop, anything to remind yourself that Monday does not suck.
If you keep thinking Monday sucks, it is going to suck because you anticipate it to be, and you’re seeking out the suckiness from Mondays. That’s when you say ’See! I told you Monday sucks!’.
If you don’t want to be a chippery Monday person, don’t. Go into Monday with no expectations. It is just a workday. Reframing your thoughts for Mondays will lessen the concerns on Sundays for Mondays.
And if you are able to elevate your mood, go in with a mindset of ’This is going to be a good week!’. Then you’re going to seek out the goodness of the week and make it a good week like you did with the sucky things when you thought Monday sucked.
Put a reminder on your phone, put a sticky note on your desktop, anything to remind yourself that Monday does not suck.
A new routine and mindset take time to get used to. You’re not going to love going into work on Mondays overnight. You might not ever. But you will become aware of your behaviour and thoughts and make Monday less dreadful and turn Sunday back into Funday.
Here are a couple of related posts you might be interested in.
Questions?
Send me an email.
Send me an email.