Struggling to Beat the Monday Blues? Here are 6 Ways to Actually Enjoy Work

by Loius Martin Loius Martin

Sunday night brings along a familiar feeling of anxiety and panic attacks aka Monday Blues. To most of us, just the idea of the imminent five-day workweek is haunting because it represents hours of staring into your computer screen and shuffling through heaps of files instead of sipping on margaritas and laying on the beach.

A study reveals that people send the most gloomy tweets out at the start of their workweeks. As a matter of fact, people generally tend to have more stress on Mondays because they associate Monday in their minds with the return to work – or in other words, the return to stress. Mondays, however, don’t have to be ruined only because you have a nine-to-five job. Here are 6 sure-fire ways to overcome the Monday blues and actually enjoy work:

1. Identify the Source of Angst

The first thing you need to do is spot the problem and figure out what is wrong. In case you frequently have Monday Blues, you should try to resolve this issue rather than laugh it off or simply live with it. Dealing with the issue is important if you want to enjoy your job more and have a productive week. So stop and think what is causing you to hate coming into work so much. Are you unhappy with your work? Is your boss badgering you about completing a big project? Or is there a coworker who keeps pestering you? Fix your problems; if the issues still persist, find a new job.

2. Make Preparations for Monday Beforehand

If you keep piling up work from the previous week, your Mondays will automatically be extra stressful, and ultimately jumping right back in will be more challenging.

It is, therefore, always a good idea to leave as few unpleasant tasks as possible to cope with Monday morning anxiety. When you take care of the things you least want to do, you make the start of the next day not only more bearable but also brighter.

Even if you have any dreadful tasks lined up, you should get done with them as quickly a possible, so you have ample time to work on other tasks and don’t have a black cloud hanging over your head. Moreover, make sure your calendar is synced and up-to-date, so you have properly organized your upcoming week.

3. List Down the Things that Excite You

When we look at the week that lies ahead of us, we tend to focus on the tough stuff and difficult tasks. Why not look at the brighter side? Make a list of three things that excite you or you look forward to doing at work the following week. This would have a positive effect on your mood and will let you enjoy your Mondays more.

The monotonous routines can also stifle creativity, but there is one thing you can do as an employer to help make Mondays less painful for your employees. You may hire a motivational speaker in Atlanta to boost the motivation of your employees and compel them to action, thereby increasing their productivity and performance.

4. Early to Bed and Early to Rise

Go to bed a little early on Sunday night, so you wake up well-rested next morning. If you don’t get proper sleep, you’re likely to wake up cranky and groggy when the Monday morning alarm goes off.

Even though this sounds counter-intuitive, it always helps to wake up an extra 15-30 minutes early Monday morning so you can enjoy some ‘me’ time. Take a healthy breakfast, take the dog for a walk or do some exercises to get out of the robotic sleep and work style.

You may even use a sleeping app to wake up during your lightest sleep phase, so you feel relaxed rather than exhausted from mid-REM rising.

5. Kill the Blues with Your Dress

Perhaps the worst thing you can do to aggravate your Monday blues is by dressing up sloppily. It is important that you wake up on a positive note and dress up nicely to stop feeling sluggish. Research says, “When you look good, you feel good.” This doesn’t mean that you would have to invest in an entirely new wardrobe. You may put together a pair of jeans and a top, and still look classy.

If it is summer time, you need to make sure you wear breathable fabric to allow heat to escape from the body. You may achieve a more relaxed casual look in summer with lighter fabrics like cotton or you may even give linen clothing for women a try. Cream and khakis can make your attire more elegant.

6. Visualize Success

An effective technique to help beat Monday blues and have a productive week is to imagine yourself as a happy and successful person before you step out of the door each day. A lot of top athletes utilize this technique to motivate their selves because it actually works. Want to try this out? Simply close your eyes and imagine what the best day of your life will look like. You’ll be astonished to see the results, and very soon you will be watching yourself take control of all the possible stressful situations with ease.

In the beginning, you’d have to practice visualization, but once you stick to it, it will become a habit. You may even use visualization before you talk to your boss, ask for a raise or give a speech.

With this visualization technique, you can focus better on your goals and accomplish a multitude of things along the way. For instance, this visualization technique not only stimulates your subconscious but also reprograms your brain to recognize the resources needed to achieve your goals.

So the next time you start dreading coming into work on Monday, give these five tips a try. They will not only help you stay productive but will also keep your stress and anxiety levels down at work.