Each week on our Instagram, we share a "Monday Mood" post, taking the opportunity to spread some love, light, or laughter to help ease the stress of a fresh Monday. For as long as anyone can recall, Monday represented the death of the weekend, when it really represents the birth of a new week. In an Instagram post asking "Do you view Monday as a burden or a blessing?" many people answered "blessing", but there were others who viewed Monday as a burden. It is no secret that our thoughts directly influence our actions and therefore, the trajectory of our lives. If your first thought was "burden", no worries! Keep reading to find out more about an easy method to make Mondays your new weapon against drab outlooks.
Meet our good girlfriend, P.A.M. (Preparation, Anticipation, and Mindset), who is a pro at kicking the week off right! (A good Monday, starts on Sunday)
Preparation: Do you have a routine to help you transition from your weekend, back into the work week, or do you just dive in head first when your alarm sounds early Monday Morning? Preparing for Monday can save you time, energy, and stress, all factors that quickly deplete some aspect of your day without replenishment. Try this: Sunday Afternoon or Evening, take a few minutes to address any usual stressors on Monday mornings, and attack them. This could be picking an outfit, making lunch, or setting up your computer with windows or links you regularly need to start strong.
Anticipation: How do you imagine your Monday will go? Visualization is a powerful tool to bring our mind, vision, and actions together on one accord. Are your Mondays pretty typical? Sit with your eyes closed and imagine your day happening in real time. Pay close attention to controllable stressors like traffic (leave early!) or an overly talkative coworker (practice disengaging!) and have a plan to prevent those from owning your day.
Mindset: This one is ALL ON YOU. Is your outlook on Monday, positive, forward-thinking, or progressive in any way? If not, you may want to devote a few minutes to figuring out the culprit of disdain for Monday and how you could turn it around.Â
Â
Here's to Happier Mondays!