Tips for a Successful Monday

If you are anything like me, you hate Mondays.  After having a relaxing weekend filled with family and friends, you have to get up early again and start a new week. 

Here are a few tips to help you get your week started right, and have a successful Monday.

Prepare on Friday

When you leave on Friday, do not leave yourself heaping piles of paperwork and a messy desk.  Before you leave, do your weekly cleaning.  Before I leave for the day on Friday I make sure my room is ready for the following week. 

I start by cleaning all of my desks.  It is cold season and with a constant rotating door of students coming in and out of my room, I can only imagine how many germs are rooming with me.  Before I leave on Friday I take a Lysol wipe and I wipe down all my desks and tables.  This also brightens the room and gets rid of all the pencil markings on the desk so you walk into a nice clean space prepared for a successful Monday and week.

File all your paperwork before you leave.  Throughout the week I try to keep up with paperwork, but there is always a miscellaneous pile of paperwork that accumulated throughout the week.  On Fridays, before I leave, I make sure to file and put away all of the paperwork so that I come in on Monday to an empty inbox.

I also clean my desk before I leave.  I put away all stray pens, pencils, and paperclips.  Coming into my office on Monday morning to a clean room and a clear desk makes me feel good. 

On the other side of the coin, coming in to find a messy desk and classroom is overwhelming.  This starts my week off in a bad mood. 

I understand that on Friday our only focus is to get out of the building as fast as possible, but spending 10-15 minutes getting ready for Monday starts you off calm and ready to face the week.

Wind down early on Sunday

You had a great and fun-filled Saturday.  Now it’s Sunday night and it’s thirty minutes past your normal bedtime and you’re not even tired!  All you can think of while you lie in bed wide awake is how tired you are going to be in the morning, and how annoying it will be when your alarm clock goes off.

Create a relaxing wind-down routine for Sunday night.  Set a certain time to shut off your electronics. Don’t watch that terrifying episode of Criminal Minds you missed right before bed! 

I personally love to drink tea, a cup of tea and a book before bed is a great way to clue your body in that it is time to start relaxing.  I have also read that taking a hot shower at night helps cue your body that it is time to start winding down. 

Wash your face, brush your teeth and get into bed a few minutes early.  This can help you relax and fall asleep closer to your normal weeknight bedtime.

Make your to-do list and pack your bag the night before

When I wake up in the morning, especially on Mondays, I feel cloudy and end up forgetting everything.  When I set aside time on Sunday night to make my to-do list for the day I can better plan my time.  I also take time on Sundays to make my lunch, sometimes I prep for the whole week and sometimes I just pack Monday’s lunch depending on what my week looks like.  And the last thing I do before I get ready for bed is I pack my bag. 

This way, Monday morning I get myself ready and I can just grab my stuff and go. 

If only with this weather I had an automatic car starter, then I would really be all set!

Set your alarm a few minutes early

Monday mornings I really fight the urge to smash my alarm clock with a hammer.  But, I know that I move a little slower on Monday mornings.  When I move a little slower I end up running late and I arrive to work flustered and not prepared for the day. 

Set your alarm a little earlier Monday morning and vow to not hit snooze.  If you know you hit snooze and you cannot help it, try to allow time for that when you set your alarm.  This allows you a little extra wiggle room for the Monday blues. 

Take the extra time to enjoy your shower for a few more minutes, or drink your coffee and watch the news, maybe you just want to browse your newsfeed.  Whatever helps ease you into your day.

Treat yourself to your favorite coffee or morning beverage

I feel like I am always on a budget.  As a new homeowner and dealing with all kinds of new bills that I never knew existed.  One way that I try to save money by not buying my coffee, but sometimes on Monday, it feels like a nice treat to allow myself to stop at Dunkies and get my pumpkin latte with skim that makes me oh so happy. 

I just make sure that I budget this little treat into my weekly plan.  This is something that is so simple, but it just makes me smile.

Get to work a few minutes early

I can hear the groan already, another tip includes taking time away from sleeping!  But, getting to work a little early on Mondays gives you time to get your head back in the mindset of work. 

You can take a few minutes to remind yourself where you left off on Friday.  What were you in the middle of that you need to pick up where you left off.  After having two days off, and sometimes more, you may not have spent a ton of time on your weekend thinking about work. 

How many emails piled up while you were at a dinner party with your friends?  Give yourself a little extra time to catch up on your inbox.

Plan something you enjoy after school

Plan something for Monday afternoon that you look forward to.  Even if it is something as simple as saving a show on your DVR that you love. 

Personally, I have a standing dinner date with my father and this is something that I enjoy. 

Having something you enjoy that you do consistently on Mondays gives a positive thing for your brain to associate Monday with and this helps take some of the negative thoughts away when you think about Mondays.

In Conclusion…

There’s no way around it, Mondays are painful no matter what we do.  And, there are a lot of ideas here (like getting up early) that seem like they will make it even worse.  Maybe you do not try all of these right away.  But use some of these tips and I hope that they make your Mondays more successful and give you a pep in your step to have an awesome week.

Check Out:
Tips for Time Management

Tips for Staying Positive