It’s hard not to resent
Mondays. The day marks the end of the fun and freedom of the weekend—and that’s
especially true during the summer, when ordinary Saturdays and Sundays have a
carefree vacation vibe.
Even if you love your job, the
angst of having to go back to the grind on Monday can leave you disorganized
and spinning your wheels all day, explains Richard Citrin, Ph.D., MBA, an
organizational and consulting psychologist and author of “The Resilience Advantage.”
Then you have to spend the rest of the week playing catch up.
But while Monday is going to
happen whether you like it or not, that lack of productivity doesn’t have to.
The key is to adopt a few smart habits on Sunday so you set yourself up for a
brighter, more efficient workweek without really cutting into your weekend
R&R time. These tips will help you do just that.
Steal an Hour to Get Organized
Whipping out the calendar app
on your phone or tablet while you’re poolside or enjoying a sports marathon on
TV is probably not how you planned to spend Sunday. But trust us, it’ll pay
off.
“Taking no more than an hour
out from your Sunday to anticipate the week ahead and get organized will help
you free up head space and reduce worry,” says Christine M. Allen, Ph.D., a
psychologist, executive and coach. Check your calendar, email a note to a
coworker or yourself and make a to-do list prioritizing tasks you expect to
come in first thing in the a.m.
And if you really want a
happier Sunday to set you up for Monday, try knocking out annoying chores
earlier in the day rather than waiting until the last minute. You know the
ones: doing that load of laundry, prepping for next week’s meals or laying out
your work clothes so you aren’t tearing through your closet desperately looking
for something decent to wear. Tackle them ahead of time, and you can coast
through the rest of the weekend.
Fill Your Plate With Healthy Food
Do your feasting on Friday and
Saturday, as an indulgent Sunday brunch or dinner can make Monday stress worse.
Consuming rich, heavy food and alcohol on Sunday will sink you into a food coma
that can leave you lethargic on Monday morning, explains Debra Nessel, RDN,
CDE, a registered dietitian with Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance,
California.
Aim for three balanced,
delicious meals on Sunday, each containing lean protein and complex carbs to
give you steady energy and lots of high-fiber fruits and vegetables to aid
digestion and leave you feeling full. Remember to skip the cocktails or brew
and fill your glass with plenty of water. Alcohol is dehydrating, and that
brings on the mental fog and sluggishness that intensifies stress.
Add Meaning to the Day
No judgment if your preferred
way of spending Sunday afternoon is sacked out on the couch binge-watching
“Game of Thrones.” But making your Mondays brighter might come down to
designating Sunday as the day you do something active that’s personally
fulfilling—such as going on a nature hike or walking shelter dogs.
We all have things we have to get
done over the weekend, but there’s something to be said for making time for
activities that are consistent with your values and connect you to the people
you love, says Allen. Scheduling a yoga session with friends or volunteering in
your community, for example, lends meaning to the day and resets your mental
and spiritual batteries, so you’ll go into Monday feeling accomplished and
inspired.
Concentrate on the Positive
A rough commute, crabby
coworkers, stale coffee—the start of the workweek can bring on an endless round
of small miseries. It can be easy to get in the habit of dreading Monday,
anticipating what the morning will bring. Instead, focus on the positive things
that can happen when you get back in the office. Maybe you’ll have the
opportunity to blow away new clients with fresh ideas or at least get caught up
on weekend gossip.
If the problem is that, in
general, you’re not loving your work these days, spend some time on Sunday
thinking about what could help you enjoy your work more. Try recalling those
days when you looked forward to your job and all the hard work it took to move
up in your career. For many people, those early days were a high time in their
career. Says Citrin: “Ask yourself, what’s changed since you had that feeling?
What can you do differently now to help you recapture it?”
Your Monday hate might cue you
to stretch your boundaries and take on different assignments—or it may mean
it’s time to put out feelers for something new, says Citrin. Until then, focus
on the good things, such as the salary, the occasional chance to travel or the
officemates who never fail to crack you up.
Have Some Old-School Fun
Pull out the Monopoly board,
invite friends over for poker or suggest a game of H-O-R-S-E with your kids.
Games, hobbies and creative activities “stimulate creative thinking, encourage
single-tasking, clear your mind and improve your confidence,” explains Maura
Thomas, founder of RegainYourTime.com and author of “Personal Productivity Secrets.”
Playing computer games, sports and other activities that promote fun are also
linked to improved creativity, according to a study published in
Research in Organizational Behavior.
If you want to start Monday
morning feeling fresh and inspired, these are qualities you want primed.
“There’s no specific amount of time you should play,” says Thomas. The point is
to not work on weekends and simply use this time to engage different parts of
your brain but approach it like fun, she adds.
Set Yourself Up for Quality Sleep
A good night’s rest on Sunday
is the best way to dodge the madness of Monday; it helps you handle stress,
puts you in a more optimistic, can-do mood and leaves you feeling alert and
energized, ready to tackle the start of the week rather than retreat under the
covers.
To prep for the shuteye you
need on Sunday, try eating healthy, not-heavy meals and finishing your last
meal two-and-a-half hours before you plan on turning in so the digestive
process is underway, says Michael Breus, Ph.D., a sleep specialist and author
of “The Power of When.”
Other tips include getting in
a decent amount of physical activity on Sunday. “There is data to show that
daily exercise does help with improving sleep quality,” says Breus, who
recommends getting at least 20 minutes of heartbeat-raising movement. And
make alcohol off-limits before bedtime, as it can lead to fitful sleep,
affirms one 2015 study.
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