When Steve’s alarm went off on Monday morning, he woke up with a dread. It was the same day of the week when his energy and enthusiasm were the lowest. He wanted to sleep more, relax and do anything that he didn’t require going to work. The same old pattern of running through traffic to get to the office, attending tedious meetings, making presentations, and preparing a weekly to-do list was overwhelming. He got tense thinking about it from the same Sunday.

Sounds familiar? Many people dread Mondays and the start of a week is usually slow for most of them. But there are ways to get past the anxiety associated with the first day of the week and make it as bright as a Friday. Some of those ways are discussed here:

1. Make Fridays Productive – Many people dislike Mondays because they get stressed about completing the pending tasks of the previous week. People begin to relax from the same Friday. You have to stop that desire to de-stress from Friday and focus on completing most of the tasks before the weekend, so that there are no deadlines or pending tasks to attend to on Monday. The beginning of the week should be fresh.
2. Make sure you have fun over the weekend – Mondays seem challenging for those who don’t take a break even during weekends. It is important to eat well, get enough rest, relax by meeting with friends, watching a movie, or hitting the dance floor at a club to renew your spirits and feel invigorated. Weekends should be used to recalibrate the mind and body.
3. plan ahead – Mondays can be stress-free if planned well, preferably the week before. Making a list of tasks and then dividing them up throughout the coming week, delegating some, and marking some off to discuss with co-workers can help navigate the Monday blues with ease.
4. Sleep well and get up early – You have to get up early on a Monday morning, dedicate some time to exercise and some relaxation technique such as yoga or meditation, have a hearty breakfast, dress appropriately and then go to work with a relaxed mind. This can be done only when one sleeps on time on Sunday night.
5. Listen to lively music on Monday mornings – Research has established that listening to music can elevate mood. One can start the week with a musical note by charging the spirits with soothing sounds.
6. eat your own breakfast – A good breakfast can set the tone for a day and even a week. However, many people don’t realize the importance of this, they just run out and skip the most important meal of the day. This is the reason why one can feel bad and inconsistent throughout the day. A person should eat a healthy and delicious breakfast like scrambled eggs, avocado toast, oatmeal with fruits, smoothies, etc.
7. dress smartly – If you look good, you tend to feel good. One should plan on a Sunday night about the dress that one would like to wear on Monday. One must look their best to feel confident and energetic.
8. Interact with co-workers – When you arrive at the office on Monday, you should have short, positive conversations with your colleagues before starting work. Spreading positivity can brighten the mood and keep the spirit alive. Keeping pictures of loved ones at your workstation can also be helpful in combating stress.

recovering from sadness

Sometimes a person’s anxiety can persist for a week, a month, or even longer. This indicates an underlying problem, which needs to be addressed if self-help advice doesn’t come to the rescue.