After a nice, long, relaxing weekend, away from the hectic nature of work, school and life, waking up on Monday morning can be extremely difficult. In a rush to be on time, you're tripping out of bed to make coffee, realizing that there is a parent-teacher conference in ten minutes, stumbling into work clothes, skimming throunow, while all that's really hit you is that the weekend is over and you are back to the overwhelmingness of Mondays. Didn't you just go through this a week ago?
gh emails on your iPhone from your boss demanding that file
Not to worry - to make your Mondays easier here's one approach to getting you back into the swing of routines using a smoother transition.
Plan to have at least some fun over the weekend amid the chores. Then check off your plan to make sure you've fulfilled it. Visit a museum, have a party with your family, or go on a trip to a place you haven't visited for a while. Having a relaxing, do-nothing-but-lounge-around weekend (watching TV, sleeping, playing that addicting video game, etc.) can be fun, but make sure you accomplish some things you wanted to do, so that on Monday, you aren't wondering where all that time went and why you didn't really enjoy the weekend while it was in your grasp.
- As important as it is to have a great weekend, make sure you get all those errands done that you need, so that on Monday, you aren't panicking that you have no food in your fridge or something like that. Then again, you might decide to do stocking up on food and errand running during the week (lunchtimes and evenings), to free up more of your weekend time.
- During the weekend, aim to avoid losing track of time frequently, otherwise on Monday, you'll be sobbing on the inside, wondering where those precious two days went.
Keep yourself organized. Keep the personal items that you'll need during the week by your side so you do not lose them. This way, on Monday morning, you're not searching frantically for your lost phone, wallet, or school/work ID. Keep your backpack for school or purse/computer bag for work ready, keeping all necessary items in it except for those things you'll need over the weekend.
- Get clothes and items ready the night before. Yes, it might make you feel a twitch of melancholy to prepare for Monday on Sunday night, but in the morning, you'll feel better to be nice and prepared and fresh for the day, now that you are practically set to leave for work or school.
Spread out any work, school or college chores throughout the weekend. Of course, try not to spend your entire, beloved weekend getting one homework assignment or work crisis dealt with! Rather, do a little bit each day and spend enough time on it to have made a good dent in it, so that on Monday, you're not feeling overwhelmed by it. Gradual steps taken to complete such things also helps you to do a good job because you'll get some perspective by Monday, thanks to your subconscious having had some relaxing time over the weekend to digest the information more clearly.
- Remind yourself over the weekend that you're doing some work now, so you don't have to worry about it too much on Monday.
Avoid sleeping in or staying up too late during the weekend. There is nothing you may love more on the weekends than sleeping late, but it is important for your healthy sleep routine that you sleep as much as your body needs and keep any additional sleep to a reasonable amount. Do not sleep more than two hours past your average wake up time, so that you're not a zombie on Monday; too much extra sleep on Sunday morning might keep you awake longer Sunday night, leaving you unrefreshed Monday morning.
- Also, try to keep to your usual bedtime each weekend night. Excusing yourself to stay up all night watching a thrilling movie or playing Temple Run on your iPod because it's a weekend night will have bad repercussions for Monday. Too late to bed and you will not sleep well that night, and the sleep deprivation created by one later-than-usual night over the weekend can affect your energy levels on Monday. Keep your sleep bank in good balance––not too much and not too little!
Eat nutritiously throughout the weekend. Try to limit junk food snacks and visits to fast-food joints. To stay healthy, eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible, like always, with perhaps an occasional extra treat because it's the weekend. On Monday, you'll be back to eating dinner with enough vitamins and green stuff, but it might disappoint you to have to turn away from those Doritos for the third time, now that your weekend nibbling has awoken an increased desire for them.
- If your family is in the habit of eating out or eating randomly all weekend, try to keep to having at least one home-cooked meal per weekend! Ask your family for one meal a day at the table together, no matter what else is happening all weekend.
Do something special or enjoyable to draw your weekend to a close. When you're in bed Sunday night, thinking how this weekend wasn't even worth anything, and you hardly did anything fun or useful, you're going to feel blue to go back to your routine after feeling that the last two days off were pointless. Allow yourself the chance to take back a sense of a lost weekend and re-energize yourself with something that makes you feel good at the last minute. This will allow you to redeem a seemingly lost weekend and you'll be happy to recall the night before on Monday. For example:
- Make a special meal for your family or household or go out to dinner together.
- Go and see a movie.
- Take a walk in the park and throw Frisbee with the dog or just admire nature.
- Have a drink in your local bar or pub; or have an ice cream or piece of cake at a favorite cafe.
- Call up a friend or family member you haven't spoke to for a while and catch up on news.
- Do something that feels out of sync; if you'd normally watch a TV show and shuffle off to bed feeling fed up, ditch the TV watching and go out and watch a live game or just watch people practicing sports; visit the beach or wander down a crowded Chinatown street; drive over to your parents' house and offer to cook them dinner. Allow yourself to do something really different from your usual Sunday night routine!
Start your Monday right. Waking up cranky or tired on a day of going back to routines is not going to help you escape the Monday morning blues. However, even if you do, you can put on an "I'm ready for this week" attitude with some neat tricks:
- Wake up a few minutes earlier than you normally would. Waking up earlier buys you extra time to get ready at a non-rushed pace. It can also allow you to greet the sun as it rises and to see the early morning activity happening around you. If you like to write, exercise or meditate, this is a great time of day to do any of these activities.
- Take an aromatherapy shower. Your ordinary shower might not cut it in terms of excitement. However, adding some scent can cheer you up immensely and can turn a banal routine hygiene activity into a sweet-smelling and mind-clearing refresher. Some find a splash or burst of cold water at the shower's end helps to wake them up too.
- If the sun is out, pop outside and take a quick walk to appreciate your local neighborhood's ambiance early in the morning. The morning light will remind you of the morning, which can help you to feel a lot more enthused about the coming day.
- Have your usual favorite beverage. Coffee, tea, lemon in water, whatever it is, there is great comfort in taking time to enjoy your favorite beverage before leaving the house. Grabbing a drink on the run will leave you feeling rushed and ungrounded, so make time to enjoy your first beverage of the day in the comfort of your home.
Adjust to Monday's pace at your own pace. When you're adjusting to routine again on Monday, pace yourself, so that your first day back isn't as stressful. By being organized already, there is less to run around "finding". By allowing yourself to get up in time to eat leisurely, you won't feel like you're bolting out the day. And working in a little break between leaving the house and getting on with Monday's expectations, you can ease yourself slowly back into the routine. For example, instead of getting off at your usual bus stop, get off at a park near work or college and walk the rest of the way through the park, taking time to notice the birds in the trees, the other people around you and the smells from breakfasts being made everywhere. A mindful walk can do wonders for helping you transition from the weekend to the work or study week.
Look forward to the next weekend. By now, start to plan your next weekend to have a blast with friends, or cancel any events so you can take the day off to yourself. This way, on Monday (and all week) you have something to look forward to.
Thanks to:
wikihow.com
Edited by Molly, Claire, 80_Calo, Flickety and 20 others
