Have you ever dreaded Mondays? Ever had to set 5 or 6 alarms to make sure you can drag yourself out of bed. Ever felt “Sunday night fear”? I have… and it’s horrible. Ever wondered if there is another way? There is.
A friend of mine recently told me how when he was in school, he’d wake up with anxiety on a Sunday morning in anticipation for school the next day. Every week, his whole Sunday was ruined by the nagging feeling of having to restart the weekly grind, sit in a classroom, and be talked at for 6/7 hours. Sounds like pretty familiar feelings, for school kids and a lot of us in the working world.
But why why do we feel this way? I know we all have commitments; families to provide for, rent or mortgage to pay, people to please, dept to pay off. But are there other ways to do all that? Ways that don’t stress us out or give us anxiety?
Monday doesnt know its Monday. It doesn’t know that it’s being dreaded. It doesn’t set out to be boring, or stressful, or busy. It’s just another day. There are loads of people out there who look forward to Monday’s. People who are passionate about what they do, or believe they are making a positive impact on the world, or just like the people they work with. Are there any small changes that you can make to improve how you feel about Monday?
Recently, I’ve been exposed to the lives of numerous CEO’s and business owners. Many of them relish Monday mornings and some even set aside an hour on Sunday night to plan out their week. They like what they do. They want to make make the most of their week.
For years, I’ve played football on Monday nights with a group of friends. It means that no matter what, I’ve something to look forward to after the weekend. No matter if I’ve loved my job or hated it. It got me through the alarm and actually changed my attitude to the day. A friend of mine gets up an hour early than he needs to, reads the paper and has a coffee before work. It gets him through the alarm.
Maybe you don’t need to do something drastic to make Monday’s better. Maybe you just need to take on more tasks that excite you in work. Maybe you need to have that conversation with your colleague, that’ll help you enjoy working together. Maybe it’s time to find a new job. Maybe you just need to add something fun to your day.
No matter what, Monday is just another day. How we feel about it, is all about us and our attitude to it. What can you do to improve your Monday?
