We’ve all heard of folks having “a case of the Mondays,” and might have even been accused of having it ourselves, but what does that really mean? According to the Online Slang Dictionary, the phrase refers to an overall discomfort with the first day back to work after time away. I don’t know about you, but I like planning my first day back from vacation to be on a Thursday or Friday because the weekend is near, and I can ease my way back into things without having to work a full week right off the bat.
After I spent some time thinking about this phrase, I continuously questioned if it’s even a real thing. My conclusion is this – that it’s only as real as we allow it to be; it’s an attitude or state of mind. If we consider our job to be blah or boring, if we use phrases like “back to the grind” when referring to it, then it’s no surprise when we start to dread the work week at around 8:00 the Sunday evening before.
If we’ve found ourselves in this position where our least favorite time is Sunday evening or Monday morning, there’s good news. We have some options:
Is it time for a career change? Let’s face it. We can’t all have our dream job right now. But we can work toward that end or even create our dream job. I’ve heard folks say that the best boss you can have is yourself! Friends of mine who eventually became unsettled in their jobs decided to take a leap of faith and start their own businesses. Most of them have become successful entrepreneurs, and those who haven’t simply went back to work. In either case, tt was really good for them to make the change.
Is it time to retire? As silly as it may sound to younger folks, retirement could be an option! I have friends who worked because they felt they “had to,” but when it came down to it, retirement made perfect sense – they could do so financially with little or no impact to their income. They were working their job “just because.” One particular gentleman I worked with for about 3 years was in his 70s before he decided to stop working! His job was keeping him from enjoying what he’d spent so many years working toward, so I was really happy to see him finally retire (and he’s definitely enjoying it)! Lots of folks are able to retire much younger, and some even choose to work because they enjoy what they do and love having something to occupy their time.
Is it time for an attitude adjustment? If you’re currently working your dream job, Mondays can still be a challenge after a relaxing weekend or a wonderful time away at your favorite vacation spot. I’ve found that a lot of times, I have to give myself a “Sunday pep talk” so that I’m in the right state of mind when entering the work week. As a part of this “attitude adjustment,” I like to set aside a few minutes to lightly plan for the next day – doing things as simple as choosing an outfit for the next day and packing my lunch. If I don’t have any plans for the lunch hour, I’ll briefly think through what I’d like to accomplish during that time so I’m not stuck in town running errands after work and can head straight home. I’ve also found that anywhere I can save myself some extra time and unnecessary stress the next morning, it goes a LONG way (and usually helps me get into town a bit quicker with a much better chance of starting my day at Starbucks!)
No matter what you decide or how you start your work week, always remember that you are the one responsible for your circumstances, and you have the power to change them!