How to have the most productive Monday

Let’s admit it, no one likes Mondays. For the longest time, it's been the day of the week I've been the least prepared for. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who rolls out of bed, slaps on some sunscreen, pieces together a half-decent outfit, downs a double shot of espresso, and heads out the door, dehydrated, shaky, and anxious. 🥴

It doesn’t end there; I then reach work agitated, late, and having to apologize and excuse myself for being late and unprepared to take on tasks right away, all the while being the Grinch of Mondays and wearing the expression of ‘Not My Day—Go Away.’ 😈 I’d say it’s a pretty nasty start to the week.

Here is what I did differently to go from being a complete wreck on a Monday morning to commencing each week with a calm and healthy mindset.

Self-reflection

Recognizing that you need to take back your power is kind of a big deal and will set you up for success. It’s not as scary as it sounds. You can start small by listing things down.

Here’s an example -

• I notice myself being anxious about Mondays from

• I tend to get hangry when I’m at work/school

• Once I get to work, everything feels chaotic and I can’t seem to catch a break.

Once you’ve identified what you are feeling, you can break it down further into how you can deal with it.

• If I could just stop hitting snooze, I wouldn’t be so rushed.

• What do I wear tomorrow?

• What do I have for lunch tomorrow?

• I could pack snacks that keep me going for longer and pull me through the 3 pm slump that hits

According to studies, the act of physically writing something down is linked to stronger brain activity across many regions and improved memory recall. (Source: Psychology Today) Thus, instead of letting the chaos consume you and drive you into eventual burnout, we take small, mindful steps to keep that from happening.

Application

Now that you’re done dissecting and discovering the areas that need some intervention, armor up, Soldier. It’s go time 😎

The week before:

Do your best to complete your weekly responsibilities before you head into the weekend so you may have a restful break, recharge, and begin the following week with a fresh and renewed sense of purpose.

The evening before:

• Tidy up your space -this is a mindset game changer, do not underestimate its power.

• Prep your lunch and snacks

• Choose your attire and pack your bag the evening before

The morning of:

1. Waking up an hour early would mean getting to bed at least an hour early. As much as it pains me to say this, Sunday night is not the night to binge-watch your new favorite series.🥲

   
   

2. Meditation - I know, what you are thinking, Who’s got the time to meditate on a Monday morning?! Well, I highly recommend meditating especially on a Monday morning.

I was first introduced to meditation by my therapist. I thought, "There’s no way I’d be able to fit that into my schedule," However, he suggested I simply set aside 5-10 minutes of quiet time, focusing on my breathwork. Thoughts will keep coming up, and you may recall everything you need to get done; however, let the thoughts flow through and pass.  This practice will train you to quieten your mind.

Benefits of meditation:

• Among meditation's emotional and physical advantages are the following

• Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations

• Building skills to manage your stress

• Increasing self-awareness

• Focusing on the present

• Reducing negative emotions

• Increasing imagination and creativity

• Increasing patience and tolerance

• Lowering resting heart rate

• Lowering resting blood pressure

• Improving sleep quality

(Source: Mayo Clinic)

The perfect start to a week, right?

3.   Quick hydration and nutrition

• Be sure to hydrate yourself when you’ve just woken up and throughout your day.

• Toast, overnight oats, and a protein smoothie/yogurt with fruit and granola, and/or whatever you can whip up in 5 minutes are your new best friends.

4.   List out your tasks for the day

Regardless of whether you commute to work, school/work from home / own a business / a stay-at-home mum/dad; list out your tasks for the day. Highlight the major tasks and from there onwards, it’s just a matter of crossing things off your list.

Things to remember:

• To take a breather when it gets too much.

• Eat + stay hydrated

• Give yourself grace - you are setting yourself up for success - you’ve got this!

• Discipline and consistency over motivation - One of my favorite takebacks from 2022 was the awareness of how overrated ‘motivation’ really is. If you want to get sh*it done, you’ve got to work for it. That’s where discipline and consistency play a vital part. Your inner peace directly impacts your performance at work/school and the only way to feel at ease is to be mindful of your habits and routines.

“Success is created through the performance of a few small daily disciplines that stack up over time to produce achievements far beyond anything you could have ever planned for. Failure, on the other hand, is just as easy to slip into.” - Robin Sharma