Lots of people dread the thought of Mondays and the week ahead - it’s very common. In an ordinary week, it’s back to work and back to school - that alone can make us wish the weekend would last longer.
However, today is ‘Blue Monday’ – the day the media have branded the most depressing day of the year. The weather’s usually bad, the days are short, money is running low and the Christmas and New Year holidays long gone. It’s easy to see how ‘Blue Monday’ came about. And to top it all, we have lockdown too at the moment.
However, there’s no real reason this coming Monday needs to be worse than any other Monday. It may never be your favourite day and these tips might help you face Mondays from now on with a positive mindset.
Plan
- What needs to be done this week? Make a plan - but try not to overload your Monday!
- Write down your worries and consider which ones are practical and you can deal with - prioritise, delegate, make a plan of when to action these during the week.
- Keep a routine – address the difficulties of working from home (if you are) and children not going to school - what can you do to help shape the day? Thinking about these challenges and finding solutions for them can have a positive impact on your emotional wellbeing
- Be kind to yourself and be realistic with your expectations - avoid long, overhwelming ‘to-do’ lists.
- Plan something fun or relaxing for Mondays and at other times during the week so you have something to look forward to. This can be a nice reward for getting work or other jobs done and helps create a good work/life balance.
Self-care
- Set aside some time to put yourself first and do things that bring you enjoyment and pleasure – a long bath, cooking/baking, reading a good book or perhaps meditating
- Do some exercise - it’s a great, natural way to lift the mood. It doesn’t have to be a full workout, listen to your body and choose a way of moving that makes you happy – dancing around the house or walking around your local area
- Dedicate some effort to how you dress and your appearance for the day - this can have a positive effect on your mood
- There are lots of worries at the moment regarding the impact of the pandemic- vaccines, somebody we care about getting ill etc - address your worries, recognise them and talk to someone about them.
Keep connected
- It’s important to maintain positive relationships with family and friends – try to make good use of digital platforms, phones apps to stay in contact. Schedule time outside your working day to keep in touch with each other. If working remotely keep in touch with your manager and team, it is important to maintain working relationships so you feel less isolated, alone or stressed. Quick chats/emails or virtual connections are a good way to check in with each other to make sure colleagues are okay.
Prepare for your Monday
- Be organised and prepare what you can the night before -dinner, essentials which are required for work/school etc. This will help prevent us feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
- Maintain a good sleep routine – aim to get up and go to bed at the same time every day and make sure you have enough sleep to avoid feeling over tired the next day.
- Disconnect from work at the weekends (avoid checking emails, and doing work-related things if you can)
If you need support with your health and wellbeing, contact us on if you would like more support call the Total Wellbeing team on 0300 555 4152 or by email at [email protected]