Mondays are probably the least liked day of the week. Email inboxes are full, calendars are packed with meetings, and we’re all feeling tired from the weekend. It’s rare to want to come back to the reality of the work week. While a Monday may not necessarily ever feel exactly like a Saturday, there are some helpful tips that can support you in the work week ahead.
Start on Sunday night
Setting the next day up for success means you have to start the night before. Going to bed early, laying out your clothes, reviewing your schedule – if you do all of this on Sunday night, this mentally prepares you for Monday morning so you can get going.
Create a morning routine
A morning routine is key when grounding yourself before a work day. It helps set the tone for your day and gives you a chance to reflect and plan. Instead of bolting out the door, or going straight to your work station at home, enjoy a few moments of ‘me time’ where you savor the small moments like brewing your coffee at home, making a cup of tea, doing a 5 minute stretch – find what works for you.
Clean your home over the weekend
Take a couple of hours each weekend to clean, organize, put things away and the next morning notice how you feel with the kitchen clean, laundry done, and all the papers neatly in their place. Cleaning and organization is one way where you can see how your insides feel. Often times our physical environment is a manifestation of what is going on on the inside. Less clutter physically means less clutter mentally.
Make time for joy
Instead of wondering what you will be doing on Monday after work or school, plan something that you know you enjoy. Is that meeting up with a friend? Talking to someone on the phone? Going for a hike? Whatever that is for you, make sure you schedule something joyful. Looking forward to a planned fun meeting or activity always makes the work day go a little bit more smoothly and even if it ends up being a stressful Monday you know you get a chance to unwind in just a few hours.
Prewrite all of your emails on Friday
No one likes a clogged email inbox so one tip is instead of moving tasks from Friday over to your Monday, it is helpful when you actually complete them on Friday. That just means that is one last task to complete on a potentially less hectic start to the week.
Move closer to your purpose
Begin to notice if your job is a means to a paycheck or if you enjoy your job. Not everyone has to love what they do, sometimes that fulfillment comes from other outlets but if you are someone who wants to feel lit up by their work, begin noticing if you are finding purpose at work – whether in the specific work tasks, the people, the extra groups that your employer may have as a part of team building. Become self-aware to know what role your work needs to have for you and if you do find that you need more purpose in your life, work with a coach who can support you in finding it.
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