Mondays Suck: 10 Monday Tips to Kickstart Your Week on a Positive Note

Damn you, Monday! The start of a new workweek, the beginning of a long list of tasks to be accomplished, and the end of a relaxing weekend.

If you're not a morning person and the thought of Monday morning fills you with dread, don't worry - you're not alone.

Most people struggle with Mondays and find it hard to get back into the work groove after a weekend of detachment.

But fear not, because we have stress relieving tips to make your Monday more positive.

10 Monday Tips to Help Mondays Suck Less

Tip 1: Plan Ahead on Sunday Evenings

Take some time on Sunday night to plan out your week ahead. This will help you start Monday morning feeling more organized and prepared.

Create a a list of to-dos, schedule your tasks for the week, organize your inbox by archiving unimportant emails, and if you need help conquering anxiety then check out these 15 Surprising Tips to Fight the Sunday Scaries.

Taking just 30 minutes out of your Sunday evening to plan will grant you more control over your Monday and have you feeling less anxious before you go to bed.

Tip 2: Get the Sleep you Need on Sunday Night

This one sounds pretty obvious but you might be surprised to know that 79.5% of adults say they have more trouble falling asleep on Sundays compared to any other day of the week.

Ensure that you are getting enough sleep by securing eight hours of sleep, so when your alarm clock buzzes at you on Monday morning you won't want to throw it against the wall.

If you're like me and your mind races at night, then try to get some exercise in on Sunday. Exercise helps regulate your Circadian rhythms, alleviates insomnia symptoms and the post-workout drop in temperature promotes feelings of relaxation.

Again, if you're like me and everything fails, check out this Beginner's Guide to Meditation for Sleep & Anxiety or purchase CBD & CBN sleep oil if you need a helping hand.

Tip 3: Rock Out to a Pump-up Song on Monday Morning

Want to increase your happiness levels and be more productive? Well, here's a genius idea: listen to some feel good music.

Research suggests that music listening is strongly associated with stress reduction by the decrease of physiological arousal as indicated by reduced cortisol levels, lowered heart rate, and decreases in mean arterial pressure.

Upbeat music can actually help you chill out, reduce stress, and get motivated for the week.

So, here's the plan: create a killer playlist of your favorite upbeat songs and jam out during your morning routine.

Sing in the shower, dance while brushing your teeth, strut your stuff while getting dressed, groove while eating breakfast and head bang while drinking your coffee.

Tip 4: Hit the Gmail Snooze Button to Relieve Employee-Stress

If you hate Mondays because of the tsunami of emails you get, then this step is going to be your wake up call to freedom.

In Tip 1 we discussed archiving unimportant emails, but what if the task is something you need to tackle but can't at the moment because you're overwhelmed?

The Gmail snooze button is an excellent feature that allows you to snooze emails that you don't have time to address right away, so you can take care of them later when you are less overwhelmed and more productive.

This is a helpful hack for those who operate most efficiently in an uncluttered atmosphere.

Tip 5: Quell Monday Mornings with the Eisenhower Matrix

If you still feel anxious and overwhelmed after archiving & snoozing your emails, the Eisenhower Matrix is a useful time-management tool for you to try.

The Matrix is a four-quadrant system that helps you organize your to-do list by priority. You can do this by splitting your tasks into "Urgent and Important," "Not Urgent but Important," "Urgent but not Important," and "Not Urgent and Not Important."

Then, tackle the tasks in each quadrant in the order of importance.

If taking this job on yourself is already giving you a sense of panic, then try the productivity platform ClickUp, which combines all of the task management tools into one so your brain doesn't burst trying to figure out how to use all these new tech platforms.

Tip 6: Squash Meeting Anxiety by Scheduling them on Tuesdays

Another top tip to make your Mondays more bearable is to avoid scheduling any meetings on that day. Instead, try to push them to Tuesdays.

One of the key reasons we dread Mondays is the sudden transition from a chill weekend to a bustling workday, often loaded with high-intensity meetings.

By scheduling meetings on Tuesdays, you give yourself a chance to ease back into your workweek and accomplish The One Thing that will actually move the needle for you or your employer.

This not only allows you to catch up on emails and prioritize your tasks as per the Eisenhower Matrix, but also diminishes the anxiety associated with Monday meetings.

If you're not a business owner or manager, tell your boss that research has shown that Tuesday afternoon is the most effective time for a meeting, as people are more likely to be free and have settled into their workweek.

Tip 7: Make Monday Manageable with the Pomodoro Technique

This technique involves breaking your work into small chunks of time, followed by short breaks.

By working in short bursts and taking breaks, you can improve your focus and productivity, and avoid workplace burnout.

The Pomodoro Technique allows you to plan your workday, concentrate better, and increase your time-management efficiency.

As a bonus, if you didn't follow Tip 2 and get enough rest the night before, the Pomodoro Technique paired with these hacks on How to Stay Awake at Work will prevent you from sinking into a slumber in your office chair.

Tip 8: Use Friday Afternoon to Set Your Intentions for Next Week

I know, I know, when Friday afternoon rolls around you'll probably roll your eyes at this tip. But hear me out for a second.

Before you're ready to start your weekend, take a few minutes before logging off to reflect on the past week and set intentions for the next one.

Start by reflecting on your top 3 achievements from the prior week to put you in a good mood, then proceed by writing down 3 things that you WON'T DO during the weekend and 3 things you WILL DO.

By conducting this exercise you'll feel a sense of accomplishment on Friday, you'll avoid any pitfalls over the weekend (like getting drunker than you wanted), and you'll also ease the transition from weekend mode to workweek mode come Monday morning (by setting the intention of going to bed at a reasonable time or eating healthier on Sunday evening).

Don't roll your eyes, give it a try.

Tip 9: Make Monday a Celebration and Kill the Monday Blues

Why not turn Monday into a party?

Eat breakfast with your favorite co-workers who hate Mondays as well, remind them that Friday is only 5 days away, and catch up with office friends to share all the hilarious mayhem you got into on Saturday.

Monday doesn't need to be all heart attacks and hair pulling. If they're in season, remind yourself that Monday Night Football is a couple of hours away and invite some buddies over for some beer, or put together a wine night and plan The Bachelorette with your favorite group of gals to make the dread disappear.

If neither of those are in season, look forward to Mondays by including something fun and social into your schedule. The work world will zip by.

Tip 10: Avoid the Pain of Monday Mornings by Getting Out of the Rat Race Entirely

Escaping the rat race is possibly the most definitive solution to permanently eliminate the Monday blues.

The rat race represents a life characterized by competitive pursuit of wealth or success, leading to a sense of being trapped in a never-ending cycle of work.

Breaking away from this requires adopting a lifestyle where you prioritize self-care, job flexibility, and passion over the traditional 9-to-5 grind.

Consider options such as remote work, freelancing, or entrepreneurship, which provide the freedom to design your own schedule.

This allows you to balance work and personal life effectively, making every day as exciting and fun as a Friday.

Remember, stepping out of the rat race doesn't mean putting an end to work; rather, it means creating a healthy work-life balance that ensures you are working to live, not living to work.

Don't let your job consume your life, unless you are working for yourself.

Conclusion: Monday Doesn't Have to Suck

In summary, we've walked you through a series of pro-tips designed to transform your relationship with Monday morning and tackle the day ahead.

We've explored how simple changes - like using productivity tools like ClickUp, and shifting meetings to Tuesdays - can make Mondays more manageable.

We've advocated for the power of setting intentions on Fridays, turning Monday into a celebration, and the ultimate game-changer - escaping the rat race altogether.

This journey isn't about vilifying work, but rather, about creating a harmonious work-life balance, one where you work to live, not live to work.

Practice these tips and watch the Monday blues disappear.