How To Love Mondays

Monday is absolutely, positively, my favorite day of the week.

And this is WAY different than most people, I think.

Last week, in my Monday newsletter I talked a little bit about why I love Mondays + gave a few of my best tips for making Mondays just a bit better if you hate them. (Missed it? Don’t miss another and sign up for my newsletter here)

But learning to love Mondays is such and important topic that I thought I would take today and expand on the newsletter, giving you my own reasons for loving Mondays + even more practical action steps to take if you truly dread them.

TGIF doesn’t apply to me, and here’s why:

Each and Every Monday Represents A Fresh Start

Who said you have to dread Monday? I actually love Mondays, and with these tips you can learn how to love Mondays - at at least ditch the Monday dread.

New years, new quarters, new adventures, new everything! I’m a sucker for all of them because I absolutely LOVE the opportunity to craft something amazing out of a fresh start. Also I get bored easily, and this contributes to my love of Mondays.

When I’m at work, I’m at work. I’m focused, in the zone, and I don’t worry about anything else. This is the reason I’m so fanatical about having an in-home office with a door. I have to have that bit of separation.

But when I’m off, I’m truly off. I don’t answer email – heck, I don’t even CHECK emails. I don’t open my computer if I can help it. And I do my best to leave the office door closed and stay out of it.

So Mondays for me are like coming back after a vacation. Full of energy, a clear head, and on a mission.

The Energy of Monday is Amazing

Coffee is a must, but once I’ve downed my 4:30 am coffee excitement starts to take over. The blank slate that lies before me isn’t terrifying – it’s empowering! It can be anything I want it to be!

Mondays Are My Most Productive Day

This is true for me because of the previous two reasons, but it’s actually true for many, many people. In fact, Red Letter Days for Business found that one-third of us do our best work on Mondays, and we do the most work on Mondays than any other day of the week.

Yes, this makes the day go by super fast, and there is nothing like the satisfaction that comes from a full and productive day.

Because Fridays Are Only Important If You Hate What You Do

If you’re not doing something you love, Mondays become infinitely harder. I am very lucky to have a rewarding and fulfilling job, but I completely understand if you’re stuck in a job for now.

Try some of these cool ideas for making extra money, finding money in a too-tight budget, and start changing your life!

So what if you truly hate Mondays?

Unplug During The Weekend & Evenings

You know what the best cure for a Monday is? A fun weekend.

Over the weekend, during holidays, and in the evening once you’re home, do your best to disconnect from your work. If you work from home, either shut the door to your office when you’re not working, or if your workspace isn’t completely separate make sure that your desk remains clean and uncluttered.

Simple cues like taking work email off your phone – or shutting it down completely – can give you the rest you need to give Mondays a fair shake.

Make it clear to your boss & co-workers that you will not be reachable during the weekend or in the evenings. Although this may be a hard stance to take at first, if you stick with it eventually your boss and co-workers will adjust, and you will become happier and more productive during your working hours.

It’s a win-win for everyone.

Action Steps – Develop a plan for unplugging from work:

Take work email off your phone. Do it now so you don’t put this off.
If you work from home, set an alarm on your phone for the time when you get off work. This alarm should serve as a hard line you do not cross. The moment it goes off you leave the office – and don’t look back until the next morning.
Finally, set your phone to “Do Not Disturb” during the hours when you are not supposed to be working. Most phones allow you to filter you do not disturb settings to allow family and friends through, but silence calls from work. It may take a minute to set up, but trust me it’s worth it.

Take Back Sunday

In order to avoid feeling overwhelmed on Monday, you need to take back control of Sundays.

Too often, everything that we forgot/didn’t have time for during the week gets shoved into Sunday, leaving us feeling drained and unhappy on Sunday evening. Then that negative energy transfers over to Monday.

Action Step – Develop a plan to take back your Sundays with this helpful article & printable.

Inject Some Fun Into Your Monday

Wear a favorite outfit, pack your favorite lunch, plan an awesome activity after work, or meet a friend for coffee during your lunch break.

Find something you love and make it happen on Monday to give you a little something to look forward to.

Personally, I love grocery shopping. Weird, I know, but I know what makes me happy, so after work on Monday the hubs takes our daughter and I get to go shopping. I look forward to it every single week, and it’s especially great after a productive Monday.

Action Steps – Write down 4-5 things that you really look forward to doing. Schedule the easiest one for after/during work on Monday, and the rest on Mondays after that. After a few weeks, doing something fun on Monday will become a force of habit.

Find a Planning System You Love

Last year, I took the jump to the Living Well Planner, and I’m never looking back. (You can check out the planner here)

I love it because it’s all-encompassing: work, meal planning, budgeting, correspondence, and even household management.

If that’s not for you, check out these Time Management ideas. There are ideas for bullet journaling, Erin Condren planners + many, many more.

Try a few until you find one that works. It’s essential to feeling in control of your plans, and therefore, your Mondays.

Action Step – If you don’t yet have a planning system, make it a priority to find one that works for you within the next month. Be willing to invest a couple of weeks into trying each planning you’re interested in because any planner requires a bit of adjustment and you need to give them a fair shake.

Change Your Life

If you hate Mondays because of your job, then it’s time for a change. Maybe not this months, or even this year, but there are plenty of ways to make room in the budget, make extra money, and pursue a career you actually LOVE.

If you have Mondays because you hate your job, then you need to make a change. I have tons of resources that can help you save thousands of dollars, make thousands of dollars, and turn your life into something you actually like so you can start loving (or at least liking) Mondays.

Mondays don’t have to be the enemy.

And you don’t have to love them like I do. But I highly suggest that if you absolutely detest them that you actively work towards liking them a little.

You’ll find that by working at it, in time you might come to actually like them quite a bit.

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