How to Make Monday’s Suck Less – Scientifically!

Mondays can be the most dreaded day of the week. After a weekend of spending times with family and friends, or chilling in front of Netflix, it can be difficult to kick yourself back in gear for the working week ahead. Are there any scientific ways to start your week off on the right foot? Of course! Check out our guide below to make the most of your Monday.

Catch Up with your Colleagues

Part of that lost zombie Monday morning feeling dates back to our caveman days. Our two days away from our working environment means we’ve fallen out of the tribe, and we need to secure that again to feel happy in the office. Make the time in the morning to grab a coffee and spend time in communal areas catching up with the other cavemen in suits. Clinical psychologist Professor Alex Gardner describes this social bonding as vital for a happy week: “Having done the tribal bonding, we are geared up for a productive week while some people who have started all guns blazing on a Monday morning may burn themselves out.”

Smile

Find a reason to smile – dance along to your favourite tunes, call a client that always makes you laugh, send an amusing cat photo to your boss. However you do it, find a reason to smile.  Studies have indicated that many people don’t smile on Mondays until 11:16 am and workers aged between 45 to 54-year-old will moan for approximately 12 minutes on Mondays. Don’t be part of the crowd, do something to bring a smile to your face

Set Goals

You can’t change the world in one day, but you can accomplish a few little tasks on your way to something much bigger. Try to write three goals to start you off in the morning that you want to accomplish. It might be answering the emails you have received over the weekend or scheduling in that meeting with your boss, but scientific studies that setting realistic goals and ticking them off your to-do list will make you feel happier and accomplished.

Make Time for Friends

Do you have a few minutes today that you could call a friend? Or make time in the evening to go for a drink with your bestie? Giving yourself something to look forward to will help you beat the Monday Blue’s. Scientifically,

Treat a Colleague

If you get the chance to nip out of the office, studies have shown that spending money on others makes us happier than spending it on ourselves. Is there someone in your office who has been having a difficult few weeks? Buy him a treat from the bakery, and it will be smiles all round!

Eat Lunch Outside

Science has shown that getting some sunshine and fresh air on your lunch break is much healthier for you both mentally and physically. It is known that eating sandwiches on a beach was found to boost mood the most, and failing that sitting on a with a park bench in a green space was second best. You’ll return to the office feeling much more refreshed and focused than if you sat isolated at your desk.

Listen to Your Favourite Music. 

Have you got an Uplift playlist on Spotify? If you don’t, make one of your favourite Monday morning tunes. Ideally, music that will make you move and tunes you love the rhythm and lyrics. Listening to moving music causes the brain to release dopamine that makes you feel good!  “You’re following these tunes and anticipating what’s going to come next and whether it’s going to confirm or surprise you, and all of these little cognitive nuances are what’s giving you this amazing pleasure,” said Valorie Salimpoor, a neuroscientist at McGill University in Montreal. “The reinforcement or reward happens almost entirely because of dopamine.”

So don’t let the Monday Blue’s get you down – instead, head into the office with a box of doughnuts for your teammates and grab a coffee! Kick back to your favourite tunes, share some jokes with your colleagues, and treat a friend to coffee outside in the sunshine. Happy Monday!

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