How I treat Monday-morning scaries
Monday mornings freak me out. Here’s how I get through them.
It’s a hot and humid Monday morning, and I woke up anxious and jittery, as I do on most Monday mornings. Even though today doesn’t seem to be too busy or challenging, I still feel a rush of adrenaline, like I’m in high school, pumping myself up before a big basketball game.
I’m trying to get better at this: chilling out; relaxing a little bit… but I think that will always be part of my personality. My heart gets fluttery on Monday mornings because there are words to write and clients to meet with, and I care a lot.
I’m sure you know the feeling.
If you’re anything like me, Monday mornings feel like working out after sitting around all day. Necessary, yes. Good, yes. But also a little nerve-wracking; a little jarring.
And as someone who needs to be relaxed and undistracted in order to produce my best writing, this feeling I get on Monday mornings can feel extremely counterproductive.
But like an athlete learning how to control their emotions during a game, I’m trying to learn how to embrace my Mondays so they remain just as productive as my Tuesdays. Here are a few tricks that work for me.
- I don’t set meetings on Fridays, as a general rule. Because Mondays are meeting-heavy days for me, I use my Fridays to tie up any loose ends from the previous week and to set myself up for the following week.
- When I plan for my week every Friday, I give myself three priorities for Monday. Once I’m done with those priorities on Monday, I’m done working. That way, instead of staring down a long list of the tasks that need to get done by the end of the week, I can focus on doing three tasks really well, and still feel accomplished.
- I try to go to a coffee shop or work somewhere other than my home office on Monday mornings. That’s because working from home can sometimes be a distraction for me if I’m not in the “zone,” and I want to eliminate as many distractions as possible to start my week on the right foot. (Plus, it’s more fun to start my week with a fancy coffee drink!)
- I take an early-evening workout class on Mondays so I can get out of the house. This helps me create a physical boundary between my work routine and my post-work routine.
- I fake out my nervous system by starting my Monday mornings with a project I’m really excited about. (“You’re not anxious; you’re just excited!”) This Monday morning, for example, I’m writing this post (something that’s fun for me) as I’m sipping an oat milk latte on a patio at a local coffee shop, and I’m listening to fun, upbeat music. ☕ 🎵
I want to know: how do you create a Monday routine that helps you start off the week on the right foot? 🤔
