Monday is the least favourite day of the week for many people. It's the first day back at work after a weekend of leisure and it can often seem harder to motivate yourself to get started.
But Blue Monday… well, it’s considered the worst Monday of them all. The party season is over, we may have already broken our resolutions, our bank account is in the red, and if you live in a cold climate for the month of January… the grey days don’t help either. Blue Monday is considered the most depressing day of the year. Yikes.
The good news? Yes, we've got some because there are countless great ways to boost your mood and ensure the happiness from your weekend carries over into the following week.
Here are just seven ways to beat Blue Monday and bounce through the week...
Compliment Those Around You
Make it your mission to compliment five people before mid-day. This may sound like a strange way to make yourself happy, but spreading happiness to others is often the best way to warm your own heart.
Find What Makes You Smile
Starting your Monday with a smile will mean starting your entire week with a smile. Regardless of how low you are feeling, there is always going to be something that never fails to put a smile on your face. Find out what it is and be sure to start your day with it.
Reconnect
Too often we leave friendships too long without communication, and this can leave us feeling isolated and disconnected from the world. With the modern age of technology, it is practically effortless to reach out to a friend with a text or instant message. So, start your day by sending a short message to a friend or family member. As well as brightening your own day, you will also be brightening someone else’s.
Express Gratitude
Starting your day by listing the things you are grateful for is quite literally one of the best ways you can start any day. Doing this first thing on a Monday morning will remind you of all of the great things in your life and give you a whole bunch of reasons to get on with your day.
Avoid Last Minute Stress
If you know that you have a lot to do on Monday morning, then try to prepare yourself for it over the weekend. If something can be done in advance, such as meal preparation or completing an assignment, then find time during the weekend to do this. Doing so will mean that you have less to do come Monday morning and you will be less stressed at the thought of starting your week.
Look Forward
Having things to look forward to and get excited about is a great way to motivate yourself to get through the mundane moments. If you feel like you have nothing exciting in the week ahead, and this thought is getting you down, then make a list of all of the things that you do have planned in the near future. These can be small things, such as meeting a friend for coffee, or bigger things, like taking a trip or having a night out.
Sleep Well
The amount and quality of sleep that you get on Sunday night can make a huge difference to the mood that you wake up in on Monday morning. If you do not sleep well, or you do not get enough sleep, then you are likely to feel irritable and be reluctant to get out of bed to start your week. On the other hand, if you get to bed early on Sunday night and remove any distractions from your bedroom, such as electrical devices, then you have a much better chance of waking up feeling refreshed and ready for what the week brings.
Trust me, if you just pick even one of these ways to beat Blue Monday you will feel much much happier! I’ve tried and tested them all.
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