Happyyyy Monday!
How was your weekend?!
Ours was really nice–a good mix of staying in/going out/hanging with friends and time alone to start and finish a whole book! (Where The Crawdads Sing–it was really good!)
Anddd I know it’s Monday and before you get mad at me for being “Happy Monday” girl–I’m here to tell you–there truly ARE ways to make Mondays feel far less…Monday-ish. It might take a few extra creative tricks up your sleeve (like…any of the below!) but it’s not so impossible after all.
Have you tried any of these yet?
1. Blast a happy song
This, I promise you, is the best Monday trick I know.
When I was 19 I spent a summer in LA with my best 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. If you don’t share the same taste in music as my 19 year old self, you might find success in my other amazing (yet, at times admittedly embarrassing) Monday morning rotation options: Sweat,Rich Girl, Drive, Centerfold, Shake, Departed, Naturally, Raspberry Beret, Say My Name and Wildcard.
2. Dust off your crock pot
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 salivating all day looking forward to that delicious dinner! Not to mention you’ll have zero cooking to do when you get home. And less cooking=more time to have another glass of wine!
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 crock pot!
4. Don’t hit snooze
This is SO hard to do–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.
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 Ozark, get around to actually reading Crazy Rich Asians or that new issue of Bon Appetit you’ve been patiently storing in your desk since last Wednesday.
What about you? What are your tricks for making Mondays more bearable?
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
Bitching about work breakfasts totally count 🙂
I love starting my week off on a great note!
Her Heartland Soul
http://herheartlandsoul.com
Glad you liked it! Thanks, Erin! 🙂
Mondays are the worst – but I think Tuesday is by far the very worst. Please write a follow up 😉 Hehe xx
Hahaha unfortunately I don’t think there’s hope for Tuesdays. 8-|
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
I think that’s a great tip, Meghan! Attitude is everything 🙂
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!
Love these!
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!