How I Stopped Hating Mondays

Sunday night rolls around. You might experience that pit in your stomach. In less than 12 hours, you’ll be back at work - again. Ugh. Are you experiencing a case of the Mondays?

A Case of the Mondays: The state of being in a bad mood due to the start of the school or work week.

It’s that dreaded, annoying, boring, do-I-have-to feeling.

We’ve all been there.

So, how do you stop hating Mondays? How can you throw a little positivity instead of negativity into the start of your week?

I did it. You can too. Here are few proven (by me!) tips to kickstart your week:

1. Plan For Monday

Monday mornings are rough as it is. And they can be made worse by feeling rushed and unprepared. It creates unnecessary stress. Instead, plan ahead. Here’s how:

• Lay out your outfit the night before.
  
• Make your lunch the night before or during the weekend.
  
• Pack your work bag or purse.
  
• Set your coffee maker for the time you plan on getting up at (If you’re a coffee drinker - like me - this is a lifesaver).
  
• Avoid the snooze button. It not only prolongs you getting out of bed, but you might actually wake up more tired during the second round of alarms. Plus, you lose out on your planned time to get ready for work or school. You end up rushing which isn’t ideal.
  
• Throw on your music. If you live in a full house, this might be out of the question. But consider wearing headphones while you get ready. Dance along. Get energized and ready to tackle anything that comes your way!
  

2. Plan a Breakfast You’ll Want to Get Out of Bed For!

Love food? Me too. And sometimes, it really is the reason I get out of bed in the morning (hey, sometimes you need the small things to give you a little nudge in the right direction).

Start making Monday breakfasts special. Treat yourself - literally! And okay - you might have to do a bit of prep Sunday so you aren’t stressed out or rushed come morning. But it’s totally worth it.

Try waffles or pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream - or whatever meets your fancy. And you can totally prepare this the night before. Chop up the strawberries. Make the waffle mix (or even the waffles themselves - then heat them up in the oven or microwave in the morning). It’s the opposite of boring.

And if it is boring but you love it - go for it. Personally, I love breakfast. And I mix it up. Variety keeps life interesting so don’t feel like you have to stick to the same Monday breakfast every single week. Some Monday mornings, I love the basic eggs and toast. Other Monday mornings, I go for chocolate chip pancakes with Nutella. Whatever floats your boat.

Trust me - you’ll look forward to waking up in the morning!

3. Meditate

… or sort of try to. Meditation ain’t easy!

If you struggle with it, try a guided meditation. Or simply be and take in the mindfulness benefits while you sip on your cup o’ joe. I often end up sitting and sipping on my coffee in peace and quiet. This means no phone in sight.

Give yourself 5-10 minutes to enjoy in the morning. It starts your day (and week) on a calming and relaxing note. Plus, it gives you a chance to wake up with some serious positivity before you’re thrown into the chaos of it all.

4. Put Your Best Foot Forward

Literally. Do yourself up for Mondays. When you look good, you feel good. Make Monday a little more special. And it will boost your confidence. Wear that new top, try that new hairstyle, or wear that new lipstick.

And remember, lay out your outfit the night before. And maybe consider planning as much as you can for getting ready in the morning. Make things easy to find. You’ll thank your past self in the morning.

5. Visualize the Life You Want

You can do this while drinking your coffee or lying in bed first thing. Visualize what you want your life to be like. Feel how that would feel. Engage as many senses as possible. Feed on that positivity and bring it forth throughout your day.

In addition, go through a list of positive affirmations. Here are a few I look at and read every morning:

“I have time to do everything I need to do.”

“I am enough.”

“I have the ability to do what I want.”

“There are endless possibilities.”

“I am grateful for the world around me.”

Depending on your goals and your life, yours might be different. In all honesty, these are the affirmations that got me through straddling the poverty line and killing all my 2018 goals (I’m not even kidding - I even surpassed where I intended to be. It’s exciting. It’s scary. It’s strange to me. But mostly exciting). It’s like as soon as I started practicing mental health tactics - like meditation, affirmations, gratefulness, and visualization - things got better. And they can for you too.

Visualization (plus work) is a power tool that can get you to where you want to be. Or at least it can get you in the mental state you need to be in to get to where you want to be. Try it out and throw in some affirmations. Build and boost yourself up! It’s entirely possible.

6. Plan Something to Look Forward To

Going into a week with nothing fun on the schedule definitely ignites those blah Monday feels. So find that motivation to get you through your week. Plan fun activities. A movie night? Sure! A girls’ night out with appies and wine or a boys’ night to watch the game? Go for it.

Even simply planning out your week gives you motivation. It adds structure and routine. Plus, your plans don’t have to wait until the weekend. Take in all the time you’ve got. You only get one life.

Start Your Monday With Positivity!

Tired of people asking you if you have a case of the Mondays (and yes, I stole that from Office Space)? Struggle no more. Start looking forward to your week - and every day for that matter. Practice positive mental health habits and reap the mindfulness benefits that come with.

Monday’s aren’t all bad. Take it from someone who used to hate them. Consider your Monday a fresh start - a new beginning. How are you going to kickstart your week on a positive note?

Related Article: Free Yourself: How to Let Go of Negative Self-Talk