As the weekend winds down, many professionals start to tense up just thinking about what awaits them at work on Monday morning. For some, it’s a shadow that looms over their Sunday afternoons.

It doesn’t have to be this way! Monday is just another day in the week.

Mondays will always be a little extra busy because it starts a new week. But there are ways to make Monday a little less overwhelming.

1. Prepare Properly For Monday

On Friday, once the work of the week is complete, take some time to prepare for Monday. Perhaps there is some time to get a jump on next week’s work. Make a list of things that need to get done next week so you can go into the weekend with peace of mind and avoid any potential Monday morning surprises. Good time management throughout the week can help equal out the daily workload.

For employers, you may want to consider easing up on the Monday morning meetings. Meetings are important to make sure everyone within the company is on the same page and working toward the same goals. However, there’s no rule saying that they have to be held Monday morning. The meeting could be held on Monday afternoon or any other day of the week instead.

In addition, good communication with the workforce throughout the week goes a long ways to making sure that any meetings that are held go by efficiently and don’t drag on.

2. Go Into Monday Well-Rested

Weekends are a time to catch up on things and have a little fun. As a result, rest and relaxation can sometimes fall by the wayside.

In an ideal scenario, most of the weekend’s activities would be concluded by late Sunday afternoon, allowing you an opportunity to wind down, relax, and get a good night’s sleep. Going into any workday with low energy will have a negative impact, but more so on Monday because it could potentially set a negative tone for the rest of the week.

Go into Monday with as much energy as possible and set a productive tone for the rest of the week, and then maintain a healthy work-life balance for the rest of the week.

3. Change Your Perspective Of Monday

Many professionals have been programmed to dread Mondays. But, what if that’s more mental than reality? Ask yourself, is my Monday any worse than any other day? In most cases, it probably isn’t. And even if it is, how you decide to approach the day could determine how the rest of the day goes.

Many unpleasant things in life can be improved with a positive attitude. Look at Monday as a brand new start, a clean slate. You’re about to meet a new workweek and Monday is a first impression.

It also helps to give yourself something to look forward to each Monday. It could be going out to lunch, happy hour after work with co-workers and friends, or maybe a special family dinner out each Monday. It could even be something as simple as a workout at the gym or a movie or game night.

Whatever it is, having something fun to look forward to each Monday makes the day seem more manageable and adds positivity to it.

Continuing to approach Monday with dread and negativity will only make things worse, so turn it into a positive experience.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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