What’s a normal Monday morning like for you?
For many, it’s a day filled with overwhelming frustration and lethargy. Without a doubt, Monday has become a time when people question the meaning of existence. It’s such a dreaded day that it gave birth to a global cultural phenomenon: Monday blues.
We agree–Mondays don’t always have to be a pain in the neck.
But can you really get rid of the Monday blues? The short answer is: yes, you absolutely can.
At Oxford at The Ranch Apartments, we know that regularly experiencing the Monday blues isn’t good at all for our well-being. That’s why we came up with five steps you can take so that you can beat the Monday blues once and for all.
1. Finish Everything by Friday
What happens if you haven’t accomplished your tasks for the week? Overdue tasks piling up in your backlog = you worrying over them during the weekend.
Rather than just sitting back and relaxing, you’re dreading unpleasant tasks–waiting to pounce on Monday morning–during your supposed rest days.
To keep your Monday morning stress-free, plan ahead and get everything done by Friday. By avoiding procrastination, you can have an easier time dispersing the black cloud hanging over your head come Monday.
2. Unplug Over the Weekend
No more opening your emails on Saturday. Resist the temptation by turning your app notifications off or simply hiding away your devices.
Saturdays and Sundays are meant to be days of rest, and they should stay that way. But when you cross the line between your work and personal life, it feels like you’re not allowing yourself some well-deserved me-time.
The result? It becomes a lot harder to avoid feeling frustrated during Monday mornings.
3. Practice Self-Care
Debauchery-filled weekends are all well and good. But you might want to cut back on drinking. Instead, do something that won’t cause dreadful hangovers or anything you might regret.
Here’s our suggestion: stick to your self-care routine. Eat nourishing meals, go to the gym or spa, find time for your hobbies, and get a full eight-hour sleep.
No matter what you plan to do over the weekend, remember to go easy on yourself.
That doesn’t mean you should stop going out with your friends altogether. Instead, find that sweet spot between party mode and healthy choices.
4. Get Some Beauty Sleep
Do grogginess and anger define your start of the week? Lack of sleep is a huge factor in Monday blues, so you’ll have to be well-rested over the weekend.
That isn’t to say you should compensate for your lack of sleep during the week by going on a sleep binge. Again, balance is key to feeling good on Monday mornings.
By sleeping and waking up early on Saturday and Sunday, you can even avoid messing up your body clock. Plus, you’ll find it easier to get out of bed as your alarm sets off by Monday.
5. Make Monday Mornings Rewarding
Beating the Monday blues calls for positive reframing.
So why not try to “Pavlov” yourself, or condition yourself to see Mondays with fresh eyes, and have a rewarding Monday morning every week?
To do this, consider getting up earlier than usual on Monday mornings and take the time to indulge in your favorite breakfast. Maybe go for a walk, practice gratitude, or jot down your future goals.
Making Mondays more rewarding means finding something to look forward to. And whether it’s Monday or any other day of the week, you deserve to be good to yourself.
Oxford at The Ranch Apartments in Waller, TX