How to beat Monday Morning Blues
A reluctance to get out of bed on Monday morning is common for many people. After a great weekend, who wants to get up and go to work? Some people manage to get up and go quite happily without feelings of reluctance, disappointment or dread – but even those who love their job can sometimes feel the Monday morning blues.
You are probably aware you aren’t the only one who feels this way, but did you know there is an explanation for why Mondays are even worse than usual? The answer lies in your weekend routine, your sleep patterns and your behaviour last week. And the good news is you can change this.
A few simple changes to your lifestyle and you can avoid that feeling of dread when you wake at the beginning of the week*.
- Try to stick to your normal sleeping patterns over the weekend. Research has shown that staying up later (and sleeping in later) over the weekend will directly result in Sunday night insomnia and lower mood on Monday morning.
- Jump out of bed the moment you wake up on Monday morning. Lingering in bed and hitting ‘snooze’ will only make it worse – you have to get up, you might as well get it over with!
- Plan your Monday morning and prepare as much as you can on Sunday. Get your clothes, lunch, gym kit, work stuff ready the night before and not only will you not have to rush but you will start the day feeling prepared and ready to go.
- On the same lines, make Friday afternoon useful. Tempting as it is to rush home and start the weekend, or head off early to get the pubs happy hour discount, if you spend a small amount of time tidying your desk, finishing off work and writing your next weeks to-do list Monday will seem a lot easier when it comes around.
Eat a healthy breakfast. A good breakfast will give you energy for the day ahead, and mean you start the week off on the right foot (making it easier to stick to for the rest of the week). No time? Rubbish, you have followed the above advice and started off the week without rushing around!- Focus on being in a good mood. Only you can decide how you feel. Listen to music you like, wear your favourite clothes, put yourself in a good place to start with. Are you suffering from Monday blues just because you tell yourself you should be?
- Exercise. Yeah yeah, no time right? Make time. Exercise WILL boost your mood – it’s proven to release endorphins that will make you feel better. And you can sit smugly at your desk all day.
It isn’t complicated, it might be difficult. Give it a shot and see how you feel after a few weeks. I’m confident it will help you banish those Monday morning blues and make sure you start the week the right way
* Disclaimer: Monday morning blues may be caused by intense dislike of your boss. I can’t change that, but consider this: He may be suffering too – so make sure he gets to read this post.
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