Lili Stebbings

How to find motivation on a monday morning

We’ve all been there, right? Walking into the office on a Monday morning with a to-do list is as long as your arm and no motivation to do any of it.

No matter how many times Mondays come around, they never seem to get any easier and it seems the more fun you have on a weekend, the worse it makes you feel when you return to your responsibilities. 

But although Mondays are inevitable, there is one thing we can confide in, and it’s that we’re not alone in this feeling.

In fact, one 2020 study revealed Mondays led to employees feeling higher levels of job stress and lower levels of job satisfaction.

So is there anything we can do to lessen the dread of facing the first day of the working week? 

Thankfully yes, and I have rounded up some of the things I’ve found to make that transition from ‘weekend fun’ to ‘working week’ less of a shock to the system.

 

1. Plan something fun on Monday evening

In my opinion, having something to look forward to has got to be one of the biggest mood boosters out there. It’s a great way to get you through things you don’t really like doing, allowing you to shift your attention towards something that you can look forward to after completing your tasks.

You could treat yourself to something as simple as having a long bath or getting together with your friends after work. 

 

2. Plan your work wardrobe 

I watched a TikTok a while ago saying ‘if I don’t like my outfit I don’t enjoy it’ and it made me chuckle. It goes without saying, feeling confident in yourself is a great way to boost your overall mood and one way you can do this at work is to plan your outfits and look forward to wearing them. If you’ve run out of inspo, Pinterest is a great place to find ideas. 

Of course, if you work from home this isn’t going to relate as much, although I’ve found making an effort to get dressed for the day is essential for my productivity. 

 

3. Get up earlier on a Monday morning

There was a time when I rolled out of bed 5 minutes before the Zoom morning meeting, which happened to also be the time when I struggled to do anything productive until lunchtime. Waking up and giving myself time to eat breakfast, go for a walk, and get ready for the day has made the weekend-to-weekday transition so much easier, and leaves me feeling much more prepared for the week. 

 

4. Plan your Monday on Friday

Mondays usually take a bit of readjusting when it comes to remembering what actually needs doing from the previous week. Planning your Monday on the Friday before and leaving yourself some handover notes can free some space in your mind and even allow you to enjoy your weekend stress-free. 

 

5. Set yourself goals

How would we find any motivation if we didn’t have goals, right? Setting yourself goals, whether long-term or short-term will keep you on track, give you purpose, and get you through the most mundane of tasks. Why not try writing them down and reminding yourself of them at the start of every week? This will allow your mind to focus and remember why you’re doing it in the first place. 

 

The Monday blues are certainly worse for some than others, but hopefully, these tips can help ease the dread of returning to work if you’ve found it’s getting you down. Have you tried and tested any of your own motivation hacks? If so, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

Make sure to follow me on Instagram @lilistebbings, for weekly motivational quotes.