What is the most difficult day of the week for you? If you
are like most people the toughest day of the week is Monday. It’s no wonder in
the 70’s Karen Carpenter sang about “rainy days and Mondays” always getting her
down. “Just another manic Monday” sings the Bangles. You may have even heard
the term “Blue Monday”. Hmmm. I might be dating myself here. But why all the complaints about Monday? Why does Monday
seem to be so difficult to some and not to others?
There are several reasons why Monday is a challenge. First of all it is the end of something wonderful; the weekend. We look forward all week to the end and even find ourselves saying Thank God it’s Friday. Everybody seems to be in a good mood on Fridays. Weekends are almost like Christmas, so when it ends it’s time to go back to work.
Another reason Mondays are tougher is due to the physiological changes our bodies go through from Sunday to Monday. Neuropsychologists have known for centuries that getting extra sleep on the weekend disrupts our circadian rhythm. If you are like me, you may stay up later on Friday and Saturday nights. Even after a long Friday, I can somehow manage to stay up later on Friday nights. I blame it on my husband who believes we should “live for the weekend on Friday nights and sometimes watch not just one movie but two. Of course that causes me to sleep later on Saturday. Waking up later makes it harder to fall asleep Sunday night. Monday morning arrives sooner than planned.
Did you know you actually weigh more on Mondays than you did on Sunday? I didn’t believe it until I tested it for a month. Here’s why I believe this is the case for me. First of all I loosen up on my diet and on weekends and give myself a license to eat whatever I want including eating out. Then there’s the traditional Sunday dinner which usually includes comfort food and two pieces of cornbread. Secondly, if you are like me, you do a whole lot of sitting on Sundays.
You sit through church, you sit through dinner and you might find yourself sitting up taking a nap or watching sports. I don’t know why naps are so much better on Sundays.
The other thing I learned is that your blood pressure is typically higher on Mondays? I haven’t tested that theory, but if you have a blood pressure monitor you might want to check it out.
Now let’s add the emotional changes to the party. During the weekend we feel happy and free. On weekends we don’t feel controlled by the alarm clock and we often pick and choose what we want to do. If you are a church goer, you also get a spiritual re-charge on Sundays which makes you feel good the rest of the day. But all those feelings sometimes shift come Monday morning.
So what can we do to make Monday a better day? The first thing is to find out what is throwing you out of balance. Is it physical or is it emotional? Are your natural rhythms simply off or are you are recovering from what you ate? Work can be a huge culprit in the Monday morning blues. Maybe you are fine physically and emotionally but you have listened to enough people complain about Mondays and you have jumped on the bandwagon. There have been times where I swore I had more computer problems on Mondays than any other day of the week. And don’t let it be raining. Sigh.
If Mondays are a challenge for you, here are some suggestions to make it all better.
· Read Psalms 118:24 and remind yourself that Monday is a day the Lord has made and you will rejoice and be glad in it.
· Evaluate what might be going on at work. Human resource data estimates that around 8 out of 10 workers feel like Mondays are the most stressful day of the week. Are you heading to a job you really don’t like? Do you get in your car and feel guilty because the work you brought home on Friday is still in the back seat of your car? Do you dread going to work because you are not prepared? Do you not like your boss or you coworkers? or because you don’t like your coworkers? Are you surrounded by people who generate, depressing and discouraging emotions?
· Change your thoughts about Monday. Don’t automatically assume that because it is Monday you will have a bad day. Stop overgeneralizing and stereotyping Mondays. Instead express gratitude because you have been given another day to experience God’s blessings. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us to be careful how we think because our lives are shaped by our thoughts.
· Check out Mindset Monday – For the last several years I have created Me Time Monday posts to encourage women to remember self-care. Me Time Monday will now become Mindset Monday. Colossians 3:2 reminds us to set our mind on things above, not on earthly things. Check on Mindset Monday in Pearls Perfected Institute or Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. If you follow me on social media look for it. I guarantee you will find creative ways to make your Mondays better if you have the have the right mindset to “rejoice and be glad in it”.
Back to the Carpenter’s song. As a solution to rainy days and Mondays, she sings, “Funny but it seems the only thing to do is run and find the who loves me.” Just for the record, there are special gifts of joy and peace waiting for you when you invite God to the party. A new mindset is just a moment and a prayer away.
So as you get back into your weekday routine after having a great weekend, stop and embrace your “Mindset Monday”. The benefits will outweigh the time you take out of your day. Look for it.
Blessings,
Dr. Janice R. Love
There are several reasons why Monday is a challenge. First of all it is the end of something wonderful; the weekend. We look forward all week to the end and even find ourselves saying Thank God it’s Friday. Everybody seems to be in a good mood on Fridays. Weekends are almost like Christmas, so when it ends it’s time to go back to work.
Another reason Mondays are tougher is due to the physiological changes our bodies go through from Sunday to Monday. Neuropsychologists have known for centuries that getting extra sleep on the weekend disrupts our circadian rhythm. If you are like me, you may stay up later on Friday and Saturday nights. Even after a long Friday, I can somehow manage to stay up later on Friday nights. I blame it on my husband who believes we should “live for the weekend on Friday nights and sometimes watch not just one movie but two. Of course that causes me to sleep later on Saturday. Waking up later makes it harder to fall asleep Sunday night. Monday morning arrives sooner than planned.
Did you know you actually weigh more on Mondays than you did on Sunday? I didn’t believe it until I tested it for a month. Here’s why I believe this is the case for me. First of all I loosen up on my diet and on weekends and give myself a license to eat whatever I want including eating out. Then there’s the traditional Sunday dinner which usually includes comfort food and two pieces of cornbread. Secondly, if you are like me, you do a whole lot of sitting on Sundays.
You sit through church, you sit through dinner and you might find yourself sitting up taking a nap or watching sports. I don’t know why naps are so much better on Sundays.
The other thing I learned is that your blood pressure is typically higher on Mondays? I haven’t tested that theory, but if you have a blood pressure monitor you might want to check it out.
Now let’s add the emotional changes to the party. During the weekend we feel happy and free. On weekends we don’t feel controlled by the alarm clock and we often pick and choose what we want to do. If you are a church goer, you also get a spiritual re-charge on Sundays which makes you feel good the rest of the day. But all those feelings sometimes shift come Monday morning.
So what can we do to make Monday a better day? The first thing is to find out what is throwing you out of balance. Is it physical or is it emotional? Are your natural rhythms simply off or are you are recovering from what you ate? Work can be a huge culprit in the Monday morning blues. Maybe you are fine physically and emotionally but you have listened to enough people complain about Mondays and you have jumped on the bandwagon. There have been times where I swore I had more computer problems on Mondays than any other day of the week. And don’t let it be raining. Sigh.
If Mondays are a challenge for you, here are some suggestions to make it all better.
· Read Psalms 118:24 and remind yourself that Monday is a day the Lord has made and you will rejoice and be glad in it.
· Evaluate what might be going on at work. Human resource data estimates that around 8 out of 10 workers feel like Mondays are the most stressful day of the week. Are you heading to a job you really don’t like? Do you get in your car and feel guilty because the work you brought home on Friday is still in the back seat of your car? Do you dread going to work because you are not prepared? Do you not like your boss or you coworkers? or because you don’t like your coworkers? Are you surrounded by people who generate, depressing and discouraging emotions?
· Change your thoughts about Monday. Don’t automatically assume that because it is Monday you will have a bad day. Stop overgeneralizing and stereotyping Mondays. Instead express gratitude because you have been given another day to experience God’s blessings. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us to be careful how we think because our lives are shaped by our thoughts.
· Check out Mindset Monday – For the last several years I have created Me Time Monday posts to encourage women to remember self-care. Me Time Monday will now become Mindset Monday. Colossians 3:2 reminds us to set our mind on things above, not on earthly things. Check on Mindset Monday in Pearls Perfected Institute or Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. If you follow me on social media look for it. I guarantee you will find creative ways to make your Mondays better if you have the have the right mindset to “rejoice and be glad in it”.
Back to the Carpenter’s song. As a solution to rainy days and Mondays, she sings, “Funny but it seems the only thing to do is run and find the who loves me.” Just for the record, there are special gifts of joy and peace waiting for you when you invite God to the party. A new mindset is just a moment and a prayer away.
So as you get back into your weekday routine after having a great weekend, stop and embrace your “Mindset Monday”. The benefits will outweigh the time you take out of your day. Look for it.
Blessings,
Dr. Janice R. Love
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