Ouuihh!!!! It is Monday, how do you beat the blues?

This is most probably the most hated day in the corporate world for reasons best known to working guys. There may be different ways in which you can end up liking Mondays but because people have reasons not to be in the office, we will try to provide you with some proven ways in which you can beat the blues.

I don’t know why people don’t like Mondays but for reasons like they hate their jobs, their bosses or simply do not like the salary, Monday ends up being the worst day of the week. Now here are a few ways in which you can fight the Weekend hangover:



a)   Procrastinate feeling blue. Is a gloomy cloud forming above your head? Ignore it – you’ll give your attention to it later, not now.
b)   Wear your best clothes or the cheeriest color from your wardrobe. You’d be surprised how much your clothes could affect the way you feel about yourself.
c)   Early start - bad things happen when you are late, the tension level is high, you are in a rush, you don’t have time for breakfast, when you arrive at your office, people are shoving work into your face. It may seem like a punishment to wake up earlier on Monday but trust me, when you have enough time to organize yourself, you’ll feel like you can conquer the day easier.
d)   Treat yourself in the morning – Sit down and eat. Enjoy your food. Have a good special diet for Mondays so that you can have a diet to look forward to. But eat well - although it’s ok to treat yourself, make sure you eat well. Have enough to drink too - your malaise could be a sign of dehydration.
e)   Have a list of why you’re having the blues – you might be surprised that there will be things on the list that you can easily work on to make your Mondays better.
f)    Complete as much work possible on Friday – you’ll have less work to worry about on Monday, which lead to the next point:
g)   Have everything laid out the day before – your clothes, files, etc. Saves you a couple of minutes in the morning so that you can concentrate on other, more important things.
h)   Plan your day in small gentle steps. Apply micro - movements throughout the day. You can use a systemized approach or simply divide your day into of 1/2 – 1 hour chunks with a goal for each time unit.
i)     Talk to a friend – it’s most likely he/she is having the blues too. Keep your conversation short. Remember this is about taking comfort in the fact that you aren’t alone in this, not an hour-long gossiping about someone from a different department.
j)    Listen to happy songs – a tune can affect your mood. Let cheery, happy songs be the soundtrack to your Monday.
k)   Dance - just move that body! Jog in place, stretch, do yoga. You’ll feel less lethargic.
l)     Laugh and smile. Recall happy memories or a good joke. If you can’t think of any, do it anyway (fake it till you make it) Some research is saying that even the thought of laughing raises your endorphin (feel-good hormones) levels and a fake laughter provides similar benefits to a real one.
m) Affirmative statements – Today is a great day. I will complete my report today. Stick positive messages around your monitor and take them seriously.
n)   Choose to feel happy. If you don’t already know, being happy is a choice, so choose happiness!
o)   Buy something new for Monday – it doesn’t have to be big or expensive – a pen, a sketchbook, fancy post-it stickers. Make Monday like a birthday for yourself - Get a present for yourself nearly every week.
p)   Try something new - you’d be surprised how easy it is to feel energized by doing something you’ve never done before. A new dish, a new song, a new route to work.
q)   Start working. The thing about work is, it’s usually not the work that makes us tired, it’s the thought of starting work that makes us procrastinate and go into a cycle of un-productivity. Quit thinking about starting work and just work instead!
r)    Take short breaks – too much work can be overwhelming and when this happens, it is easy for you to give up. Remember to take short breaks to recharge. If your schedule allows it, you can also take a 10 minute nap after lunch.
s)   Plan something special for Monday night – meet a friend for dinner, rent a DVD. The day will be easier when you have something to look forward to.
t)    Do not get distracted. Once you allow yourself to get distracted you will be sucked into hours of time-wasting activities. If you don’t have the discipline to limit your distraction to 10 minutes, don’t attempt to do it at all.

In the last tip, those can be very good motivators but also time wasters. Be careful to do what you love most so that you do not get bored. Try also to avoid routine and try change for a while.

We at HCC wish you a good start to your Mondays