Because I’m Happy:
5 Things You Can Do to Give Your Week a Positive Start!
It’s a rare person who ISN’T suffering from the Monday Blues once the weekend wraps up. We’ve all heard the jokes;
- “Look on the bright side- Monday only happens once a week!”
- “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, I blinked, Monday.”
- “Monday morning…Rolling out of bed is easy. Getting up off the floor is another story.”
As funny as these jokes are, there’s only so much grumbling about Monday we can do before we find ourselves developing a very real, very permanent bad attitude to the start of the week.
Instead of grousing about how we resume putting our nose to the grindstone on Mondays, how about we try something different- something a little more…upbeat?
To start with, you could make waking up in the morning a slightly less painful process by making sure that you get enough sleep.
Instead of the usual routine of staying up late and using Sunday to catch up on all those lost Z’s, plan out a proper sleep schedule for yourself- and stick to it!
This achieves two things: it stops you from feeling extra groggy and cranky in the morning and it helps you avoid grogginess and disrupted sleep on a whole.
After catching up on your rest, the next step should focus on refueling yourself. That's right, we're talking about food- why not treat yourself to a satisfying breakfast (a healthy one, mind you)?
Studies have shown that eating balanced breakfast (one that properly satisfies you) enables you to focus well and gives you the energy you need to start the day. With that being said, no one’s insisting that you HAVE to gulp down that breakfast muffin first thing in the morning- unless you do feel hungry!
Eating when you feel hungry vs. when you feel you’re ‘supposed’ to eat is a healthier habit in the long run- allowing you to properly identify hunger signals and address them accordingly without the added pressure of extreme hunger.
You should also be sure to get plenty of sunshine (No, we’re not calling you a houseplant- hear us out)!
Light has an acute alerting effect on our sense- and studies have shown that even 5 minutes of sunshine a day can give your serotonin a boost.
Can’t get a hold of some sunshine? Try bright colours insetad- paint your walls a vivid and cheerful shade, move your laptop closer to a window, or hey, maybe use some extra lights to brighten things up!
Another tip to consider- dress in clothes that lift your mood!
Mark Twain once said “Clothes make the man”. While on one hand, this could mean that what you wear can influence how others perceive you, on a deeper level, it means so much more.
When you dress a certain way, you unconsciously influence how you will behave and perform. You don’t need to wear power suits every morning to make the day a success- but try kicking off the week with a nice outfit (maybe a brand new blouse, or your favourite pair of jeans- the kind you swear are responsible for any lucky days you have) and watch how your mood magically picks up!
We are creatures of habit- which is why the act of having a morning routine could play a huge role in making those Monday mornings a little less painful!
It could be something as simple as having 10 minutes to yourself as you enjoy a morning cuppa, starting of the day with a imple to-do list to keep on track of things, or even a full-blown workout session followed by a shower & beauty routine to get your day going- pick an activity that you enjoy, and engrain into your psyche and schedule.
With a fun activity to look forward to, waking up may just be a lot easier.
So go on, give these tips a try. And let us know if your Monday starts looking a little less blue! Good luck!
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