Its common to meet a morning personmaybe you are onebut its incredibly rare to meet aMondaymorning person.
Because, in my humble opinion, Mondaymorningsare a universally disliked time of the week.
Either way, the beginning of the week is tough.
Eliot Wyatt/Adobe Stock
And many of us experience Sunday scaries, those anxieties that creep up as early as Sunday afternoon.
Before thecoronavirus pandemicstarted, I set out to discover small ways to make Mondays less terrible.
Now that the pandemic has turned the world upside down, I need these mood boosters even more.
I also dont have children, which factors in.
Overall, feel free to adapt these tips to make them more realistic for your situation.
Plan your Monday mornings on Friday evenings.
Schedule planning time into Monday mornings.
This is the time I spend planning for the week.
But your planning time might be brainstorming time or time to think.
Do something physical on Sunday evenings.
When rethinking Mondays, I noticed exactly when anxiousness crept into Sunday afternoons.
My Sunday scaries start around 4 p.m. every week, so I attempt to distract myself with lightexercise.
Even deep diaphragmatic breathing can activate your relaxation response and help make Sunday nights and Monday mornings more manageable.
Reconsider hanging out on Sunday nights.
I might make dinner, read a book, or watch something silly.
Get up a bit earlier on Monday mornings.
Make yourself laugh on Monday mornings.
If funny podcasts arent your thing, figure out what brings you happiness.
Senior health editorAnna Borgeshas written about howplaying video games in the morninghelps her start the day off well.
Get creative and see if theres a small playful element to incorporate into your Monday morning.
If you still get dressed for work, wear something delightful.
In fact, I tried a clothing rental company,Rent the Runway, to inspire me.
Did wearing something pretty solve all of my Monday woes?
No, it didnt.
Did it make me a little more excited to hurl myself out of bed on Mondays?
I want to be clear: You dont have to wear a fancy rented dress.
Give yourself permission to be grumpy.
Listen, sometimes Mondays suck.
Its okay if we dont optimize our mood to be the most enthusiastic and productive versions of ourselves.
Its okay if you have to give yourself an entire pep talk to get out of bed.
