• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Everyday Style
    • Everyday Outfits
    • Capsule Wardrobe Remix
    • Style 101
    • Jess’ Favorite Brands
    • Home Decor
  • Advice
    • Real Women Approved
    • Advice
    • Ask Jess
    • Personal Notes
    • Healthy Living
    • Wedding
  • Beauty Tips
    • Favorite products
    • How to
  • Travel
    • Packing Lists
    • Chicago
      • Midwest Road Trips
    • Italy
      • Tuscany
      • Amalfi Coast
    • France
    • Montreal
    • Mexico
    • Nantucket
    • San Francisco
  • #QuarantineLife

The Golden Girl

Chicago Fashion and Lifestyle Blog

March 2, 2020

9 Ways to Actually Enjoy Mondays

Ways to Actually Enjoy Mondays - The Golden Girl

Softest, prettiest pajamas EVER–come in many styles/colors here! 

Happyyyy Monday! 

How was your weekend?!

Ours was BUSY but great! On Friday, we went to an awesome charity event for Miseracordia that my MIL helped plan! It was so much fun! Saturday we went out with our friends Liz and Joe, and Sunday I had a baby shower for Neal’s cousin Kate! I feel like sometimes busy weekends can amplify the Sunday Scaries even more, so I thought it was timely to update and re-publish one of my most popular (but oldest!) blog posts: How to look forward to Mondays! 

I know––a seemingly impossibly feat, yes? It might take a few extra creative tricks up your sleeve (like…any of the below!) but it’s not so impossible after all.

9 Ways to Actually Enjoy Mondays

1. Blast a happy song when you wake up

This, I promise you, is the best Monday trick I know.

When I was 19 I spent a summer in LA with my friend Alex, interning for a PR firm. We were very poor (sustaining only on granola bars and vodka sodas) and shared a king size bed for 3 straight months. Quickly growing accustomed to running up bar tabs until the wee hours in West Hollywood all weekend long, you can imagine that Mondays quickly became likened to sticking our heads into a Magic Bullet on a weekly basis.

The only thing that got me into my pencil skirt and out the door was the fact that we started a tradition of blaring this song the second the alarm went off. There was something about it that instantly put a spring in our step and kicked the week off on the right note. To this day it’s still one of my favorite songs to put me in a happy mood. You might find success in my other favorites (most of them throwbacks 😂): Angela, Sweat, Rich Girl, Drive, Centerfold, Shake, Departed, Naturally, Raspberry Beret, Say My Name, just to name a few. 

2. Dust off your crockpot

Assemble what you need Sunday night (check out these recipes for starters), cram it all in that magical little contraption on Monday morning and you’ll be mentally looking forward to that delicious dinner all day! Not to mention you’ll have zero cooking to do when you get home. And less cooking=more time to relax! 

3. Plan a girls night on Monday night 

Why do we never suggest Monday as an option when getting together with friends? We really should. Excitement to see someone you love makes the day go by so much faster! Not to mention, you need a reason to celebrate the fact that Monday is over! Bonus points if you invite your friends over for the dinner you assembled… in your crockpot!

4. Don’t hit snooze

This is SO hard to do–(admittedly I did this this morning, which is why this post is getting published at 8:45am instead of 6am, and now I’m mad at myself 😂) but hitting the snooze button 5 times before you get up is just setting yourself up for a crappy, rushed morning. Getting up an hour earlier to take your time, enjoy your coffee, maybe even read a book and linger in your PJs–or just time to wrap up what you never got around to on Sunday night–makes a HUGE difference.

If you haven’t heard of Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning routine, listen to his interview with Pat Flynn (one of my favorite podcasters) and it will change your life!

5. Try something new with your hair, makeup, or outfit

Something as simple as a swipe of red lipstick works wonders for me–or even coming up with a new, different combination of your same workwear staples will put more pep in your step. Try a braid instead of your usual ponytail–just shake things up a little bit. You’ll be surprised at how well it works–you won’t feel “Monday-ish” at all!

Plus, when you try something new, people will notice–and they’ll compliment you! When do you need nice ego boosters more than ever? MONDAYS.

Need outfit inspo? Right over here! 

6. Start a Monday morning breakfast club with coworkers 

A lot of people do this on Fridays, but Fridays are already one of the best days of the week. Why not have breakfast to look forward to on the worst day of the week? Grab a group of coworkers and rotate bringing in breakfast–it can be something as simple as grabbing bagels from everyone’s favorite bagel store, or you could take things to the next level and do a “healthy breakfast challenge”–whatever! Get creative!

7. Wait until Monday to start a new book, tv show, or magazine 

Think of how excited you’ll be to wake up on Monday knowing that today is the day you come home and finally start watching the new season of that Netflix show get around to actually reading your book, or that new issue of Bon Appetit you’ve been patiently storing in your desk since Wednesday.

8. Get outside 

I feel like Mondays can be the most hectic, stressful day of the week, so it’s easy to look up from your computer and realize you haven’t left your desk all day. Even taking just a quick walk makes a HUGE difference in my mood. Get outside on your lunch break, walk home instead of taking the bus, meet a neighbor for a walk around the neighborhood after work, whatever! 

9. Make lists, and take a second to sit down and plan out your week 

I know a lot of people advocate for doing this on Sundays, but oftentimes, I don’t WANT to think about the rest of the week on Sunday! So if that’s you, sit down on Monday morning with your coffee and plan out what you need to accomplish for the week.

This is great for a few reasons. 1. Whenever I feel overwhelmed with the tasks I need to accomplish, writing them down always makes me feel better. It looks a lot less scary on paper than it does in your head. 2. When you map out a plan, a lot more gets done than if you just wing it. I really love my friend Steph’s 15-minute planner method when it comes to planning your week! 

Hope these gave you a little inspiration to start your week! Happy Mondaying! ❤️

Filed Under: Advice, Lifestyle

Reader Interactions

< previous post
next post >

Comments

  1. Carly says

    October 5, 2015 at 3:04 pm

    BOO HISS MONDAYS. But okay I guess these are legit tips…my friend and I started eating breakfast in the lunchroom together every day, and even if it’s for the purpose of bitching about work, it’s a nice little morning break. Happy almost Tuesday! 😉
    http://www.theclydescope.com

    Reply
    • Jess says

      October 6, 2015 at 2:51 pm

      Bitching about work breakfasts totally count 🙂

      Reply
    • merry says

      March 9, 2020 at 5:41 am

      The first one is something I do every morning and it DOES REALLY HELP! The 9th one is something I have been planning to do since a long time. Great workable tips!

      Reply
  2. Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says

    October 5, 2015 at 3:32 pm

    I love starting my week off on a great note!

    Her Heartland Soul

    http://herheartlandsoul.com

    Reply
    • Jess says

      October 6, 2015 at 2:50 pm

      Glad you liked it! Thanks, Erin! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Maya McDonald says

    October 5, 2015 at 8:53 pm

    Mondays are the worst – but I think Tuesday is by far the very worst. Please write a follow up 😉 Hehe xx

    Reply
    • Jess says

      October 6, 2015 at 2:50 pm

      Hahaha unfortunately I don’t think there’s hope for Tuesdays. 8-|

      Reply
  4. Meghan McAllister says

    October 6, 2015 at 10:45 am

    Such great tips, Jess! Totally agree about the crockpot tip. I’ve been meaning to make some crockpot apple cinnamon oatmeal that I saw on Pinterest.

    One of my tricks to start my Monday off right is just having a great attitude!

    Meghan, http://www.lincolnparkminute.com

    Reply
    • Jess says

      October 6, 2015 at 2:50 pm

      I think that’s a great tip, Meghan! Attitude is everything 🙂

      Reply
  5. D is for Dreamer says

    October 10, 2015 at 8:48 am

    I just heard about the Miracle Morning on another podcast last week and I’m legit reading it this weekend! Getting up early to exercise everyday has already had such a positive impact on my energy level so I can’t wait to learn more about how I can get the most out of my my mornings (and life!). That tip about scheduling a date with your girlfriends on Mondays? And the breakfast club? GENIUS! I already start every day with a solo dance party or singalong to whatever’s new on spotify. They’re playlists are always on point and save me the trouble of having to use my brain before I’ve had coffee. Great tips, Jess! This was a really good one!

    Reply
  6. Heidi Knepper says

    October 16, 2015 at 4:18 pm

    Love these!

    Reply
  7. Kristin says

    October 9, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    Love this! I feel so much better if I get up a little earlier and have time to read (in my pj’s–best thing ever), or even make a coffee stop on my way to work. Bonus happiness if you also grab coffee for a work friend!

    Reply
  8. turn downit says

    May 31, 2020 at 7:04 am

    I misplaced 10 pounds in handiest multi-month. I distinctly prescribe you to make use of this item at the off threat which you are looking for weight loss thoughts-boggling as it’s miles a feature manner and doesn’t have any response to your frame.Mary Watson:
    I am 21 years of age and feature dependably been obese, it’s miles in my features. For multi-month or so I took a stab at warding off to the rec center yet it didn’t work and i felt extremely wiped out so I didn’t continue with it. This is the factor at which my specialist prescribed me to make use of Instant keto weight loss program tablets.

    https://annieandersonblog.com/reviews/ketogenic-diet/instant-keto/

    Reply
  9. fitbitehealth says

    June 2, 2020 at 2:36 am

    I think that great tip.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Do You Have a Case of the Mondays? | My Life This Year says:
    October 11, 2015 at 1:02 pm

    […] Keys, founder of The Golden Girl Blog, has some good tips, including planning a girl’s date on Monday evening and have a breakfast […]

    Reply
  2. Weekend Browsing | The Splendid Guide | A Chicago Lifestyle Blog says:
    October 16, 2015 at 8:55 am

    […] 7 Tips on how to love Monday’s a little more! […]

    Reply
  3. How to style a J.Crew coat says:
    February 8, 2016 at 8:37 am

    […] cranky about the fact that it’s Monday, you might want to check out this post, and this post (they’re two of my most popular posts!)–which are SURE to cheer you […]

    Reply
  4. ROOFTOP VIEWS IN J.CREW – GG Test Site says:
    February 8, 2016 at 6:37 pm

    […] cranky about the fact that it’s Monday, you might want to check out this post, and this post (they’re two of my most popular posts!)–which are SURE to cheer you […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Hi, I’m Jess!

IMG_8690 (1)

Welcome to The Golden Girl–a real girl approach to living your best life! (Because the internet needed a happy medium between real life and the highlight reel.) Click here to learn more about me! 

GG's Popular Posts

  • Billie Razor review Real Women Reviewed: The [UNSPONSORED] Billie Razor
  • The best no-show underwear The best no-show underwear
  • benjamin-moore-midnight-oil-cabinets | Our New Kitchen! Before/After, and all about our remodel Our New Kitchen! Before/After, and all about our remodel
  • 10 Random Things on a Friday | fresh flowers in a vase 10 Random Things on a Friday
  • Dynasty George House Dresses review Dynasty George House Dresses: The WOC-owned, sustainable and ethical startup you need to know about!
Shopbop.com

Fast Free Shipping Worldwide

  • JUST ARRIVED
  • SHOP TEE
  • SHOP WALLET ON A CHAIN

Fast Free Shipping Worldwide

JUST ARRIVED

  • RtA

    Get the Look

  • Jennifer Zeuner Jewelry

    Vanna Huggie Earrings

  • adidas

    adidas x Lotta Volkova SL72 Sneakers

< >

SHOP TEE

  • Helmut Lang

    Helmut Lang Strange Days Tie Dye Short Sleeve...

  • Far Afield

    Buy Wallington Printed Tee from Far Afield

  • Reigning Champ

    Buy Now at Shopbop

< >

SHOP WALLET ON A CHAIN

  • Salvatore Ferragamo

    Gancio City Wallet on a Chain

  • Salvatore Ferragamo

    Shop Salvatore Ferragamo Vara Wallet on a Cha...

  • Tory Burch

    Robinson Chain Wallet by Tory Burch

< >

Shop Lace Bralettes, Long Black Gowns, Denim Capris, Boxes and more. Get this widget.

Featured Posts

48 Hours in LA

Do you do this in restaurants?

A Parisian Picnic

Do you believe in fate? (Our story).

Copyright© 2021 · Brunch Pro Theme by Shay Bocks