Every Monday morning our social media newsfeeds are filled with posts about how much everyone hates Mondays. Whether you’ve had a fun weekend or you were catching up on errands, it can be tough to transition back to the routine of the workweek. Mondays are tough for everyone, but you shouldn’t have to spend your Sundays feeling dread for the next day or be in a bad mood all day Monday. Did you know studies have found that most adults don’t smile until around 11:30am on Monday? What a sad study! You can make your Monday a lot better by figuring out ways to incorporate fun activities easing back into the workweek. Here’s how to beat the Monday blues.

How to Beat the Monday Blues

1. Start prepping from Sunday

To help your Monday morning go smooth and relaxed verses stressed and hurried, start prepping for it from Sunday night.

• Get to bed early so you can get enough zzz’s and wake up feeling refreshed
• Plan your outfit the night before. Pick something that makes you feel good about yourself
• Pack anything you might need for the day and it set it in front of the door so that you don’t forget to take it with you
• Plan your schedule for the week. Schedule in workouts, fun activities, what you need to get done, etc

2. Start your morning with something fun

Get your morning off to a good start by doing something relaxing or fun. It’ll make your Monday feel a little more like a weekend and put you in a happier mood before you head off to work. You might have to wake up a little earlier to fit it in but it’ll make such a difference in your day that it might be worth it.

Some ideas:

• Blast your favorite music and dance around while you’re getting ready
• Sit outside and savor a cup of coffee instead of gulping it down on your way out the door
• Get in a fun workout like a walk outside or a boxing class

3. Have a yummy breakfast waiting for you

Getting out of a warm and comfy bed on Monday morning is a little more bearable if you have a yummy breakfast waiting for you to the fridge. Set your coffee maker on a timer so you wake up the smell of yummy coffee and make your breakfast on Sunday night.

Make ahead breakfast ideas:

• Greek yogurt, nut, and fruit parfait. Experiment with different combinations. Our current fave: Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, walnuts, little bit of granola, banana, chia seeds, and a little bit of honey
• Sandwich made out of whole-wheat waffles with peanut butter and banana slices
• Green smoothie
• Protein packed pancakes or muffins 

4. Reframe the way you think of Mondays

Attitude is everything. Put on a bright sunny face and pretend to like Mondays and you just might feel a little better. We feel like a lot of the dread that comes along with Mondays is just the negativity associated with Monday. It’s become our ritual to hate on Mondays and while it might be fun to bond with your co-workers over that hate, it also puts you in a downer mood. Try these tricks to brighten up your Monday attitude.

• On Sunday nights make a list of three things you’re excited about for the week
• Start thinking of Mondays as a fresh new start to the week
• When you get to work on Monday morning, make a list of goals you EXCITED to accomplish this week (Tip: even if you aren’t excited, pretend you are!)
• Smile at everyone you see! Especially your barista as you pick up your morning latte. She’s probably used to people screaming at her Monday morning (Sad, but true!)
• Do NOT give in to bashing Monday with your friends and co-workers. Turn the topic of conversation into something positive. It’ll be a lot better for everyone!

5. Start your work day with a clean slate

To go along with your positive attitude from the previous tip, start ACTING like Monday is a fresh start to the week by giving yourself a blank new slate to work with.

• Run a sanitizing wipe along your desk and keyboard when you get into work that morning
• Throw out all your old post-it notes and to-do lists from last week and write fresh new ones
• Clear out your drawers and clean the top of your desk before you leave for work on Friday
• Have a productive (but not stressful) day to set the tone for the rest of the week! We tend to purposefully schedule less meetings on Mondays

6. End the day with fun plans

Fun activities don’t have to be reserved just for the weekend. Try to think of something fun you can do after work so you have something to look forward to on Mondays.

• Replace your usual Sunday brunch with a Monday dinner and recap the weekend with your friends
• Check out a new happy hour spot with your co-workers
• Try a fun workout class
• Make Monday night your date night

7. Make your work day more fun

Take effort to incorporate things you like into your workday. It will help make Mondays less painful if you have fun activities sprinkled throughout the day.

• Take some time to catch up with your co-workers and talk about what you did over the weekend
• Plan one of your meetings to be over coffee or lunch
• Put your favorite project or client on schedule for that day
• Listen to music while you work (Here’s a good playlist)
• Bring in your favorite donuts to share with your co-workers

8. Is it more than a case of the Monday blues?

If you try all these suggestions and it doesn’t help make your Monday any better or if thinking about work fills you with dread and anxiety, take some time to think about why that is and try to come up with a solution. Do you hate the project you’re currently on? See if you can switch to another project. Is one your co-workers giving you a hard time? See if you can talk to that person and resolve the issue. Do you not feel passionate about the work you are doing? Figure out what is you do feel passionate about and if there is a way you can incorporate that into your work. If it’s truly more than a case of the Monday Blues, the solution just may be a new job.

What are some of your favorite ways to beat the Monday Blues? We’d love to hear your ideas! 

Did you like this post? Please pin it!