10 Ways To Make Monday Better

Why are Mondays so bad? Sure, it's the start of the week coming off a weekend but even if we don't have a great weekend, we all seem to dread Monday mornings. Make it stop! Here's how. 

Sunday night is the best time to think about following these 10 steps if you're wanting to start the week of right. However, there's no reason we can't start these steps on a Tuesday. It's just like New Year's resolutions - we don't always have to start on January 1st.

That being said, here are some tips (thanks to TIME) and my own opinions:

1. Make a checklist. Write down all the to-do's in your head and add a couple extra easy things. Once you mark something off your list, you'll feel so much more accomplished.
2. Sleep. This is definitely a pre-planning thing. Get at least 8 hours of sleep. I, honestly, don't know of a time when I got 8 hours of sleep. Consistently, that is. I've heard it's possible but I have yet to see it.
3. Wake up earlier. Having the power to follow-through on the waking up early takes a small Army. However, if you sleep your 8 hours, this will be much easier. When you're going through your day all prepared and have the stuff you usually put off until the last minute out of the way.
4. Eat a good breakfast. Throw some sausage in the microwave and scramble up some eggs. Eat toast with cottage cheese. Fill that tummy.
5. Meditate/Do Yoga. In my mind, stretching is just as good. I will stretch in the morning and I can feel myself becoming more clear. I haven't graduated into the whole yoga in the middle of the day but I'll get there.
6. Update your calendar. This can be a physical calendar you write in or the one on your phone. My phone calendar is what keeps me going. I need it for reminders and all the additional stuff I forget to do. There's usually something (okay, about 5 things) that fall through the cracks with me.
7. Set goals. Go for the big goals or start small and do short-term goals. You can just have a goal of leaving the office at noon for lunch. That's a legitimate goal and something to accomplish. Once you're comfortable with the little goals, move on to the bigger ones.
8. Enjoy what you do. TIME magazine says to take a look at what you love to do and what you are good at. Once you've figured it out, you go toward that for your work so you aren't dreading Mondays anymore. I am living in a more real world and know that we can't just up and leave our job because we super-love drinking coffee and find that we're really good at it. We can find something to do after work or something to look forward to doing over the weekend. This helps to have a visual goal so we're not just existing day after day.
9. Meal prep. Do this on a Sunday. It's a really good day. Write a menu or actually prep your meals for the week. Whatever works for you is what you should do.
10. Stay positive. We know you're not feeling it but if you can find something - anything - to be positive about, then that's what you should focus on. Your Monday could absolutely blow chunks but do you look cute? Go with it and ride that positivity until something else comes up.

Do you think you might be able to start on this list and make Monday a great day?