Many more of us than are willing to admit, suffer from the weekly disease of Mondayitis. We all know what it feels like. It is that sinking feeling on Sunday night that our weekend care-free time is over and we begin to stress about returning to work Monday morning. For some it is the challenge of getting back to the weekday routine of getting up earlier, for some it is the dreaded commute, or perhaps it is lack of direction in our professional lives.
Approaching Mondayitis
Although I am not a psychotherapist, I can offer a few homespun methods to attack Mondayitis. For some of us who have a stronger case of Mondayitis, a combination of these solutions may be necessary.
- Define the problem. What exactly is the issue? Defining what is causing you the anxiety is the first step. You need to determine what is causing you the stress – external forces, like commuting or just getting up early, or things that happen at work itself. While it is not easy to cure all of these, defining what is stressing you out will go a long way toward easing the weekly symptoms.
- Transitioning from the weekend. Pushing off getting to bed on a Sunday night, is not a good plan, especially if you are one of those people who needs a good night’s rest.
- Focus on the memories. Think about the fun things you did on the weekend, so the memories will stay with you. And plan the next weekend’s festivities – it is more important than you think.
- It’s the job, stupid. This is the hardest one to cure, but please continue.
- I think about work too much. Some people find it therapeutic to make a list of open work items on Fridays before they leave the office. This way they have closure on what they need to get done on Monday. Another suggestion is to maintain a pad and paper next to your bed. In the event you get a brilliant idea in the middle of the night (like I do), just jot it down and you will feel more relaxed.
- I need to take control over my career. Perhaps it is time to assess your career and see if a change is in order. Are you managing your enterprise well? Are you in the right job?
- Create a happy Monday feeling. Some employers bring in bagels or healthy snacks once a week on Fridays as a treat. Plan the treats for Mondays instead; these are good tonics to help create a positive Monday feeling.
- Avoid Monday meetings or training. If you are thinking of arranging a 9 am meeting on a Monday or a Monday training session, think twice.
Happy Monday!
While Mondayitis is a common malady, using these coping strategies will help you and your employees feel refreshed on Mondays, make everyone more productive at work, and most importantly, ease the weekly transition from the personal world to the workplace.