On Mondays
“Well, my heart struck sorrow, tears come rolling down. I woke up this morning... I woke up this morning... Woke up this morning, with the Monday morning blues.” Monday Morning Blues, Mississippi John Hurt
Mondays. We all hate’m – with good reason. Our weekends are ours, a time for family, friends, fun (and of course some chores). Mondays our bosses, our clients, our projects get us back. We return from reverie to full inboxes, urgent demands, co-workers giving off the Monday misery vibe (or, alternatively, are way too cheerful the first day back). Mondays have always been terrible. Now they are worse. I thought it was just me, but as I talk to my friends and colleagues and coaches it is clear others are feeling the same. Monday blahs have become Monday blues, deep and dark. The return to the challenges of the week harder, the will to face them less.
Makes sense really. For those us who are fortunate to have our jobs, we really have three: the one on our business card, the administrator of a homeschool and manager of COVID adaption (for work, home, family). We are all exhausted so weekends (if we are getting them off), though duller, mean so much more to us – a chance to reenergize, distract ourselves, have some me time and us time. And when we come back Monday, we are coming back to not one but multiple jobs. So of course, it’s hard. And to top it off, there is no transition – no commute, no visit to the coffee shop, no banter with people on your hallway about the weekend. It’s just BAM! Emails, calls, work.
While part of me is resigned to this – that Monday’s gonna Monday all over me – I can feel myself fighting back (finally). Here are my first steps to turn the Mondays down from 11:
Friday checkout. Before I sign off for the weekend, I get very clear about what I will do Monday morning and when. This is hard – I am exhausted, and I really don’t want to think about next week. But shaping my Monday is helping.
Virtual Commute. I am taking a little longer to get to work on Monday. I used to feel bad about it. Now I realize it helps. I give myself a train-ride of time to adjust. To have coffee, read something, stare out the window. I am reclaiming the buffer a commute provides between weekend and work week.
Virtual Hallway. I am spending a few minutes each Monday morning reaching out to friends, colleagues, clients and texting/emailing about the weekend. I take a little time late in the day to share articles, memes and videos, to connect in fun or useful ways with my work community. It lifts my mood, makes me feel connected. Makes coming back not just about my projects.
Monday Funday. Monday is never going to be a Saturday or Sunday, but I am loading it up – especially the morning – with things I am excited to do or are easy. I make a little more time for breaks. Tuesdays are now a bit harder - but actually, that is energizing. I work really hard Tuesday and feel proud of what I have accomplished.
Hey, Monday’s still hard. But I don’t dread them like I did for a bit. And I am finding that Monday being easier is making the whole week a little better.
