Strategies To Help You Beat Those Weekday Blues
Weekday blues—we all get them, even if we love our jobs (most of the time). Maybe you find that Mondays are just the absolute worst because you are still dreaming of the weekend. Or maybe it’s most weekday mornings, because waking up early is just not your cup of tea (or coffee). Whatever the reason, read on for some tips to make your weekdays just a little bit sunnier.
Sleep is key
Are you getting the seven to nine hours of sleep each night recommended by the Sleep Foundation? Even on the weekends? When you go to bed at 10pm on a work night, then celebrate the weekend by staying up until the wee hours of the morning for two days in a row, it should come as no surprise the next couple of workdays you will be feeling a little, well, blah. Your body clock is a real thing and keeping it (fairly) consistent can go a long way toward feeling refreshed through the whole week. That is not to say you have to go to bed at the same time every single night—just try to keep it within an hour or so of your normal work week bedtime.
Make time for self-reflection
Once you make sure your physical self is adequately rested, you can turn your attention to the mental component of your weekday blues. If you experience these feelings frequently, it’s worth asking yourself what aspect of your job you feel down about. Sara Sutton Fell, CEO and founder of FlexJobs, explains to Forbes, “Maybe it's a negative coworker or a meeting with your boss...or maybe it's that you don't feel challenged...In either case, clarifying what is bothering you can help you try to be active in finding solutions.” In other words, you have to arm yourself with the knowledge of what is bothering you before you can go out and fix it.
Look ahead
Assuming your blues do not stem from a fundamental unhappiness with your job itself, there are some simple tactics to boosting your mood. One is as simple as scheduling something to look forward to—whether that is a Monday massage to encourage a relaxed mindset for the upcoming workweek or a midweek lunch with friends, try to plan something enjoyable whenever possible. Both the actual event and the anticipation leading up to it are guaranteed mood boosters.
Think beyond yourself
Sometimes all it takes to get out of a weekday slump is getting out of your own head. Healthline suggests thinking of ways to make other people's work weeks better, which can often help put our own stresses and worries into perspective. Try bringing in coffee for the office, thanking a coworker for something they did to help you out, or calling up a friend you have not reached out to in a while—anything to make someone else's day more special—and your own.
Be unavailable (at least on the weekends)
Not everyone has the type of job where they can completely unplug on Saturdays and Sundays. But if you are not expected to respond until Monday anyway, do anything and everything possible to avoid looking at your work email or checking your office voicemail over the weekend. While some people like taking a look in order to prepare themselves for what is coming when they get back on Monday, it is important to have clearly marked boundaries between work and leisure. If those separate worlds blend together too much, it will soon seem that every day is a workday. This almost certainly leads to burnout and pretty much guarantees those workday blues. With smartphones constantly dinging at us night or day, marking a clear line between “work” and “not work” can be difficult, but the end result is worth it.
Remember, having the occasional weekday blues is perfectly normal. But with some fresh ideas and a positive mentality, those days can be less blue for you and those around you.