I have never heard of anyone loving Mondays. We tend to hate Mondays simply because they are not Fridays or Saturdays. The prospect of a Monday is never accompanied by cheerful and positive feelings full of anticipation.
Or at least this is what many people feel. Certainly, this is what I used to feel. That there is nothing pleasant or special about Mondays. But I have managed to shift the mentality of “Monday blues” to one that matches my lifestyle.
Mondays are great. Yes, you read that well; it’s not a typo. I know I am being radical here, but I simply cannot waste any more time and energy hating Mondays.
We associate Mondays with feelings of emptiness, boredom and depression. A long, tiring week awaits ahead, full of dull chores, musts and shoulds, uninspiring errands, long meetings and a pretty barren routine.
We jump straight from a fun weekend into the Monday misery, and the landing is somewhat bumpy, painful, and infuriating.
But why does it have to be this way? Who said fun and worthwhile things happen only between Friday and Sunday?
Mondays are great
We set ourselves up for a Monday failure by feeling sad and uneasy around Sunday afternoon. The terror we feel by solely envisioning our Monday morning doesn’t compare to any other day and is, unfortunately, recurrent.
But what if we shift our mindset to focus on everything that makes Mondays unique?
Mondays provide an exciting opportunity to start over or fresh by taking up new habits that add to your well-being and promote your life values and principles.
A weekly planner can reflect your new decision-making, including a new hobby, a better sleep or wellness routine, designated exercise slots, meeting loved ones or doing laundry.
The key is not to place too much pressure on the weekends -the ostensibly holy grails of fun and formidable experiences.
But I used to do this: placing too much value on Saturday and Sunday, leaving the weekdays only for the “unpleasant” duties. I would moreover reserve weekends for cleaning and laundry – too many things, too little weekend time.
How much can a weekend fit? Exercise and get decent sleep, cook, clean, go grocery shopping, meet friends and spend memorable moments with your significant other, fix this and that at home and, of course, relax.
We tend to reserve all the fun, interesting or exciting things for these two days, forgetting that our Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays can also entail important and valuable moments.
I like scheduling one social engagement during my work week, one or two days for exercise, spreading out the chores through the week, some relaxing dinner cooking while listening to music, and always going to bed early.
Mondays excite me because they bring about a promise for new or better beginnings. Because they present the chance to set the tone for my week -productive and interesting, with one or two compelling moments ahead.
A fulfilling Monday sets the pace for a fulfilling week while clearing some space in the weekends for quality time by removing the stress of spending the best weekend of your life.
What if I tell you that you don’t have to spend the best time of your life on any given day because every day can be wonderful once you place some value on it? Instead of “the best of”, aim for “a fulfilling Monday, an interesting Tuesday, a calm Wednesday, a fancy Thursday, a fun Friday and a restful or productive weekend”.
Mondays are great, you’ll see.