10 sure Ways to Beat the Monday Blues

Your Mondays do not have to be ruined just because you have a nine-to-five job. Looming over the start of the working week can also spoil our Sundays. The thought of getting back onto the work treadmill seeps into the time that should be spent at our leisure but only if we let it. Instead, use those precious weekend days to replenish your energy and put you on track for a productive week.

1. Start on Friday

Spend a few minutes creating a weekend plan that creates a pleasurable sense of anticipation. Enjoy the freedom from deadlines, make it a loose list of a few intentions, rather than rigid goals, so the weekend is structured around relaxation. However, these intentions must be worked on during the course of the week and written in your to-do list.

2. Break your routine

A change really is as good as a holiday, so mentally separate the weekend from the week by changing some routines. You could use the Saturday to make a special breakfast to kickstart the day then take that energy into the coming days. If your weekday routine is a quick morning shower, treat yourself to an extra-long shower instead.

3. Put housework on hold

Nothing is more certain to give you the Monday grumps than spending the weekend on housework. Minimize weekend chore time by doing mini-bursts of housework during the week. If necessary, get jobs done on Saturday morning and then let the house take care of itself. Put strategies in place so that the whole family shares the housework load.

4. Disconnect to connect

Technology has become an essential part of modern life, but be aware of how it can drain your peace of mind and your precious free time. Cut back on ‘connected’ time for at least a block of several hours during the weekend. Freedom from ringtones, tweets and the likes just for a short period, is a breath of fresh air when you spend the week glued to a screen and keyboard. Cutting loose from a time-sapping technology fixation makes more opportunities for having fun with the most important people in your life.

5. Iron out the kinks

Weekends are often the only time available for workouts. Instead of a vigorous cardio exercise, you could do a session of stretch-based movement to target those muscles that have tensed up during the busy working week.

6. Get lost in a book

If you find yourself dwelling on negative work-related thoughts, reaching for a book is an excellent tactic. Losing yourself in a story is a great way to distance yourself from the stresses of the working week, and can help you relax faster than other pastimes such as listening to music, taking a walk or pouring yourself a cup of tea.

7. Get outside

Work days spent in artificial lighting and controlled temperatures among artifical materials and noise need an antidote. There’s no denying nature’s therapeutic effects, and outside time should top your list for a serenity-boosting weekend.

8. Have a serene Sunday

In your weekend plan, schedule a quiet Sunday rather than packing it with activity and commitments. Use the day to rest and prepare for the week, mentally and physically. Get work and school outfits ready, lay out breakfast and have an early night. Try getting up half an hour earlier on Monday morning to ease your way into the week.

9. Don’t buy into it

Moaning about Mondays is a popular global pastime. Ask yourself if you want to nurture this negativity in your life. You may prefer to focus on something positive about your job; a task you enjoy, friendships with your co-workers, and the things the income allows you to do.

Smile in the shower and show those pearly whites as you get into the shower and set out to work. Some contagious smiles could help make us feel a whole better.