The phrase #MondayBlues has been quite a popular idiom for some time now. Though the phrase can have multiple meanings, for the most part it speaks to a feeling of melancholy or sadness that Monday brings mostly because it’s the first day of the work week after the weekend. Let’s face it, we all crave for longer weekends. We crave more time at home with the family, more vacations and just more time in general. The reality is however…well reality.
For those of us with 9 to 5’s if you really did the math you will realize that you spend more time in your office fulfilling your roles and functions than you do at home. The work life balance for many of us really isn’t much of a balance at all as we know that work is paramount to life. It’s how we pay the bills, pay for daycare and put food on the table and gas in our cars.
When we really look at this process it’s difficult not to see this as modern day slavery in some sense. Our time is clocked and monitored by a job. They tell us when to come in and when to leave. They even dictate when we can have lunch and for how long. They tell us how much we are worth by the salaries we are paid and we do it all for money that we need to survive.
There’s no surprise therefore that when Monday comes around we are feeling a little bluesy. There are however a few small things we can do to override those Monday Blues and start the work week off on positive note.
1. Be Positive
Instead of looking at Mondays in a negative light try making the first day of the work week about setting the stage for how you want your entire week to flow. Remember you are what you think. So make your Mondays more about fresh beginnings and chose a positive phrase or mantra to focus on not just for Monday but the entire week and repeat it to yourself every time you feel those blues setting in.
2. Set Goals
I’m so big on goal setting. Not only does it give you something to work towards but goals are positive actions that force you to focus consistently in order to achieve them. Goals can be long-term or short-term and they can even change and/or evolve as you go along. The important thing is to stick to them.
3. Pray or Meditate
This is a big one. Prayer and meditation are the key to creating and maintaining balance in your life. Having a connection to God through prayer and thanksgiving (or gratitude) helps keep you grounded and keeps things in perspective. It also helps you to foster an attitude of faith, which we can all use a dose of. Meditation keeps our spirit centered and connected to our life source. It brings us peace and solitude and gives us that alone time that we as a people seem to keep losing each day as we are constantly always “On”. Put away the phone and your computer for a few minutes everyday and just enjoy the moment. I particularly like doing this at the beginning of my morning. Begin your Mondays in solitude and prayer.
4. Exercise
So I always have an excuse as to why I can’t seem to put an exercise regimen in place consistently. Usually my one excuse is time. But seriously you just need to MAKE TIME. I know this may be easier said than done, I mean as busy moms we are literally all over the place, taking care of everyone but ourselves. Start your Monday off with a quick workout at home. There are so many benefits to exercise. It’s not just about the physical. Daily exercise can also increase your overall mental feeling of well-being. I found an app called “Circuit Training Assistant Pro” that has a great list of exercises under 10 minutes that are very effective. Find it in your Google Apps Here.
5. Make it About You
Self-Care is a must. Taking care of everyone else is great. In fact I enjoy doing it and I am sure that all you moms like me out there, you enjoy doing it too. There’s just something about us women. I think we were genetically made to be s-heroes. I mean, we do it all. But there must be a time for you. Self-Care is about balance. At least once a week pick an activity that you enjoy doing and carve some time out of your schedule to do it. Whether it’s going to your favorite coffee shop, hanging out with your girls going to the spa or just taking a nice long bubble bath. So whether it’s a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday find the time to do you!
Make your Mondays more about #motivation than the #blues.
Happy Monday! #MotivationMondays
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