Mondays can often leave us feeling a little flat. The weekend’s over, the work week has just begun, the relaxation nurtured and developed over the weekend goes out the window and is replaced by tiredness, stress and possibly even crankiness. Argh!
Here are some tips to help you battle even the most chronic cases of Monday-itis:
Don’t skip breakfast
You need breakfast to help kickstart your metabolism, feed your brain (which will need it once you’re off to work or uni!) and give you energy. If you feel it’s too early to eat when you get up, have half a glass of orange juice or a piece of fruit to give you that quick energy burst to last you until it’s breakfast time.
Drink plenty of water
You’ll likely feel tired and lethargic if you are dehydrated, so make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day. If you’re at a desk, keep a bottle or glass of water with you all day, if you’re out and about take a larger bottle in case you don’t have time to stop and refill it. Don’t like the taste of water? Add a lemon wedge to give it a bit of flavour (kind of like a Corona. But not.)
Prep for your day
Try to have everything planned – know in advance what you’re doing for lunch and preferably make it the night before. Know what you’re preparing for dinner so that you don’t have any last minute runs to the supermarket or end up having beans on toast. Again.
Plan in some exercise
Even if it’s just a 10 minute walk outside, that’s better than nothing. If you can’t squeeze it in at the beginning of your day and have too much to sort in the evening, make yourself go out for a walk during your lunchbreak. You’ll be burning calories, catching some Vitamin D and getting some fresh air which are all good things!
Stop procrastinating!
If you’re still in weekend mode, it’s time to wake up. Procrastination won’t help you get through your Monday and will only make your stress worse. Make a list of everything you need to do during your day and prioritise it – this will help you maintain focus and stay on track. Get your must-do tasks out of the way as soon as possible and you’ll get the ball rolling to tackle your other tasks.
Plan for a break
Most importantly, know that it’s okay to take some time out to breathe and gather your thoughts. If you follow the anti-procrastination steps above, you will hopefully have time to do this! No time during the day to have a proper break? Your body will have likely felt the consequences by the time evening rolls around. Plan for a yoga class or something else that will help you unwind and reset.
Photo / FreeDigitalPhotos.net – David Castillo Dominici