How to beat the ‘Mondaze’

Mondays… ammiright?

It’s no secret that most of us aren’t huge fans of the first day of the week. With the weekend quickly fading into a distant memory, enduring arduous small talk in the staffroom or – even worse – on staffZoom, and the fact that the average person won’t crack a smile until 11:16am, it’s safe to say that, by and large, Mondays are the worst.

I don’t think it’s a medically recognised condition (a true travesty!) but ‘Mondaze’ or ‘Mondayitis’ is an unfortunate side effect of starting a new week back at work. Symptoms include tiredness, disinterest in tasks, and a general desire to just go home.

But, dear reader, knowledge is power, and knowing that the Mondaze will inevitably strike when you head back into the office gives you the ability to stave it off. Here are our four tips on how to hit back when the Mondaze hits you.

Plan ahead

How many times have you heard, or said, “It went too quickly!” when asked about your weekend? This is one of the ways the Mondaze weasels its way into you: via the surprise factor. Preparation, therefore, is key. It will only take you five or ten minutes out of your Sunday night to get ready for the day ahead, but it certainly pays dividends.

Before you go to bed, take a few minutes to look at your notes from the week before, or think back to what you have to achieve in the week to come. Lay out or decide on what clothes you’re going to wear – this will save you time and stress in the morning and keep you from running around like a headless chook looking for that top or those shoes. And even though you might want to hold on to every moment of Sunday, at least try to have an early night. This will help you feel refreshed and hopefully prepared for your Monday, and get rid of some of the Mondaze lethargy.

Change up your routine

As Albert Einstein famously never said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” So why do we keep the same routine on the first day of our work week when we know it will just lead to the same old Mondayitis?

One way to keep the nasty Mondaze at bay is to make changes to your routine. You could try going for a walk or quick workout before work, or get off one bus or train stop early and walk the rest of the distance to your workplace. Maybe you try standing at your desk rather than sitting, or take your work outside. Even little things like implementing a mindfulness or meditation practice could help.

Basically, whatever you’re doing, do it a little differently. The Mondaze can often hit because we feel like we’re back to the same boring tasks after the excitement of the weekend, so knock your routine on its head to bring a bit of spontaneity and joy to your day.

Don’t be a Garfield

The thing about Mondayitis is that it has a reputation. It’s almost accepted at this point that the first day back at work is going to suck, and you can’t do anything about it. Not true! Don’t fall into the trap of deciding your Monday’s going to be tough and making it so.

Instead of heading into work feeling surly and resentful that you’re there, try to maintain a positive attitude. Start off the day chatting to your colleagues; ask them how their weekend was or what’s on for the week ahead, and try to speak to someone you might never have had a conversation with before. This will boost your confidence and get you smiling first thing, which in this writer’s opinion is much better than heading straight to your desk with your head down.

A positive attitude will do wonders for your day, and with the assistance of a bit of caffeine and lots of good tunes, you might just see the Mondaze disappearing.

Treat yo’self

There’s not much worse than feeling so exhausted and drained after your first day back at work that you don’t feel like doing anything but sitting comatose on the couch. Luckily for us, this side effect of the Mondaze is pretty easy to combat with just two words: treat yo’self.

Before heading to work on Monday, have something lined up for the end of the day. This could be a couple of drinks after work with colleagues, a chill hang with friends, or even some “me time” carved out. Something as simple as keeping your favourite sweet treat in the pantry for an afternoon snack can keep you motivated to finish out your day with something to look forward to.

When the Mondaze hits, it hits hard. Make sure you’re kind and understanding to yourself, and take all the steps you can to avoid this dreaded condition. Happy Monday!

Featured image courtesy of Pexels