How to Find Motivation for Monday

If rainy days and Mondays—and especially Mondays—always get you down, you’re not alone. In fact, up to 76% of Americans experience “Sunday night anxiety” in anticipation of the new work week starting on Monday morning.

There’s a reason Mondays have a bad rap: work is a source of real anxiety for many people. Whether you like your job or not, the prospect of returning to work after a weekend is more than enough to get you down.

If you find yourself struggling to get motivated every Monday morning, we’ve come up with a few ways that might help you find the motivation you’re looking for.

Plan your week.

Sometimes, what makes the coming week so ominous is the abstract idea of “everything” you have to do. Without a plan, you end up feeling overwhelmed by the thought of another entire week at work. This is why it can be helpful to take some time on Sunday night or Monday morning to create a plan for your week. Include appointments, to-do items, meetings, and more so that you have a good picture of what your week will really look like. Creating a concrete plan will hopefully relieve some of the pressure of Monday morning, since your week will be more of a known quantity.

Try positive affirmations.

Positive affirmations are becoming a popular motivation tool and for good reason. Positive affirmations are essentially short, positive statements that people repeat to themselves in order to challenge negative thoughts and thought patterns. While this might sound overly simplistic, there’s actually science behind this method. Positive affirmations can retrain your brain to see yourself and your life in a new light. Some examples of positive affirmations that could help you feel motivated on Monday include:

• “This week is going to challenge me in good ways.”
• “I am capable of doing my job well.”
• “I’m happy with my career path and am excited to continue it.”
• “Today is going to be a good day.”

Most experts suggest repeating your affirmations out loud, in a mirror, for about five minutes, one to three times a day. Come up with some affirmations that work for you, and try it out for yourself.

Take it one thing at a time.

You don’t have to do a week’s worth of work on Monday morning. Take your tasks one step at a time to help your day feel more manageable. If you’re really having a hard time getting going, you may even have to do this with the activities you do every morning (e.g. “All I have to do right now is shower.”). Focusing all your attention on one activity at a time will help you feel more concentration and motivation. 

Get enough sleep.

Missing a few hours of sleep here and there can make for a rough day, but a chronic lack of sleep can lead to a lot of rough days. If a lack of good sleep is affecting your Monday mornings, make it a priority to get to bed early on Sunday night. When you’re well-rested, you’re giving yourself your best shot at a good morning and day. 

Set a goal.

Identifying something you want is always good motivation. Whether you set a goal for the day or the week, giving yourself something to work toward can help you get going. 

See the good.

Take a few minutes on Monday morning and write down some positive thoughts—things you like about your job, things you’re grateful for, what you’re looking forward to, etc. Focusing on the positive can help you overcome those Monday “blahs” so you can start the week feeling motivated and energized.

Related: How to Help Your Staff Form Relationships With Clients

It’s perfectly normal to have a case of the Mondays every now and then. Hopefully, these tips can help you power through and get your week off to a strong start!