It is a truth universally acknowledged that Monday is the most loathed day of the week. Monday has the dubious distinction of being both the end of the weekend and the beginning of the work week. For me, Monday starts another week of getting up way too early and dragging my over caffeinated self through a day filled with work/school/parenting obligations until I mercifully fall into bed way too late and crash until it's time to wake up and do it all again on Tuesday.
So, yeah. Around these parts Monday mornings are about as welcome as a Black Lives Matter activist at a Trump rally. I start hating Monday and everything it stands for somewhere around Sunday afternoon and don't stop until Tuesday morning. I curse it in the winter. I damn it in the spring. I rebuke it in the summer and I scorn it in the fall. I don't care if it brings me naked Idris Elba, an endless supply of M·A·C Cosmetics, and the surprise release of a new Beyoncé album, Monday can't sit with me. I know that's petty but it is what it is.
However, as I continue through my Year of Yes the universe keeps bringing to my attention the habits, attitudes, and actions that put me in my own way. Ignorance may be bliss but knowledge is power, and once your spirit speaks you are unsettled until you stop, listen, and learn.
The thing about my relationship with Monday is I've never tried changing it. Spending a portion of my Sunday dreading the next day and waking up feeling like "Here go hell come" is my normal. It's Monday, boo hiss *throws tomatoes*. And while that's relatable response, it's not one that serves me. Hating Monday means wasting part of my weekend and starting my week off feeling negative and unhappy. The ugly truth is being petty about Monday's existence isn't hurting Monday, it's hurting me.
So what do I do about this recent revelation? Awareness doesn't always equal action so I don't necessarily have to do anything. But I want to because Monday isn't going to stop coming and I'd rather learn to embrace it rather than simply endure it.
I hear you guys asking me "How, Sway?" Look, I'm not Auntie Iyanla so I don't have all the answers but I do have a plan? Wanna hear it? Here is go:
- Get Your Mind Right: If attitude is everything I need to change how I think about Monday. Rather than looking at is as an end to my weekend freedom and the beginning of a long week of stress, I'll view it as the harbinger of opportunity. If I didn't meet my goals last week, it's a clean slate and a do-over. If I had a great week, a new Monday is an opportunity to build on that and keep pushing forward. I need to change my associations and perceptions of Monday and what it means. This won't be without it's challenges, but I'm up for it.
- Ease On Down The Road: I've always gone into Mondays head on, geared up and ready for war. Monday meant doing all the things, starting all the new projects, and being productive with a capitol "P". No more of that. I'm changing my approach. Monday is going to be the day that eases me into the rest of the week. The day I do "light" tasks. Revise my calendar and plan out my schedule. Make phone calls. Get things in order so the rest of the week flows. It'll be a lot easier to meet Monday with an action plan rather than a battle strategy.
- Relax, Relate, Release: There's a reason you get breaks at work. Since I stopped working, I stopped breaking. To keep on task I made a schedule for my day. I have scheduled everything from social media to housework to meals but didn't include any "catch my breath" moments in day. On Mondays, it's particularly rough going from "free" weekends to a rigid routine. So, I'm reworking my schedule and penciling in some moments for just stop and breath. Leave my desk, have a cappuccino on my deck (yeah, I gotta get out of this room during the day lol), breathe and be still.
- Get On The Good Foot: If there's one day I'm likely to skip my morning tea and meditation, it's Monday. It's also the day I'm most likely to skip my morning workout, skip eating an actual breakfast and just generally start my day off all wrong. No more. I will begin as I mean to go on, Tea time, me time, walk my miles, get my grub on and then face the day grounded and centered.
- No More Rain In This Cloud: I'm not the only one who side eyes Monday like the Beyhive was looking at Jay-Z after drinking that Lemonade BUT instead of getting together to grump, I'm going to make an active effort to fill my Twitter TL and social media posts with more uplifting, affirming, feel good positivity. Especially on Mondays when we could all use it.
- Treat Yo' Self: I'm starting "Manicure Monday" so I have a reason to look forward to Mondays. Find a small thing (or a big thing if you so choose) that's self-indulgent, fun, or relaxing and do it on Mondays. If you associate good things with Monday, perhaps good things will come from Monday.
I know none of that is earth shattering but I'm optimistic that a little bit of change will go a long way. So, dear readers, how is your relationship with Monday? Are you bff's or bitter enemies? If it needs a little work hopefully something I've said will inspire you to look at Monday in a new light and approach it a little differently. There are about 36 Mondays left in 2016 which means we have 36 opportunities to be great and get our weeks off to a good start. Let's do this!
XOXO,
Dylan
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