Softening Mondays

I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who looks forward to Mondays. Unfortunately, no matter how much we spend our Sundays fighting the “scaries” and all that awaits us, the start of a new week is inevitable.  Much like the rituals I’ve brought into my life to make Sundays gentler and more pleasant, I’ve adopted some techniques to help Mondays feel a little softer and even something worth looking forward to.

How to Start Your Week Gently

• Work ahead. At the end of each Friday, I take the last half-hour or so of my workday to plan out the next week. I divide up my tasks and assignments throughout the week so I don’t feel like I have to do everything on Monday.
• Start with a clean slate. I used to spend so much time enjoying my weekends that I’d do my errands and chores during the week because I figured, what was one or two more things when my days were already so busy? Now, I make sure my home is tidied up, groceries are bought, and laundry is done before Sunday ends so I can spread out the free time I do have.
• Ease into the day. If you’re able to, avoid scheduling anything too early. Our team has an unspoken agreement that anything non-urgent can be handled later in the morning.
• Plan something to look forward to. I work from home on Mondays and my husband has the day off, so we always plan something to make the start of the week feel sweeter. Sometimes we get up early and go to the local diner for breakfast, which is one of our favorite treats, while other times, we’ll take a quick afternoon break to grab a fancy coffee out, something we rarely do.
• Save something special. The weekends don’t have to be the only days filled with small pleasures. My favorite podcast comes out with a new episode each Friday, but I wait until Monday to listen to it. I also love saving a highly anticipated book to start on Monday evening.
• Keep dinner simple. Monday isn’t the day to do anything complicated in the kitchen. Make something quick and easy, or even better, have leftovers from Sunday. It’s nice to end the first workday of a week with very little ahead of you.

The truth is that I don’t know if I’ll ever truly be a fan of Mondays. Not all of my Mondays are idyllic, trust me. Some seem to spiral out of control before I’ve even poured my first cup of coffee. But this little set of rituals has made even the worst Mondays feel a little nicer. Instead of feeling like Mondays are something to brace myself for, I now approach them knowing I can find something to look forward to about them, even if that thing is tiny. Monday is coming no matter what; I’d rather give myself something to look forward to.

Explore More Like This:

• Romanticizing Sundays
• 10 Prompts to Help You Embrace a Slower Life
• A Ticket to Courage