10 Ways to Banish the Monday Morning Blues!

Do you dread Monday mornings? Feel like you don't want to leave the precious weekend behind and start yet another week of work? You are not alone! Here are some ways to make Monday mornings just that little bit better...

1) Make yourself a list on Sunday night of all the things you are looking forward to in the week

The weekend might be over but that means there is another one just 5 days away and in the meantime you may have lots of other things that you enjoy to keep you going. Make a list before you go to sleep on Sunday of all the things you are looking forward to in the week to get you a little bit more excited about this new day with all its possibilities ahead of you!

2) Before you get up in the morning think of 3 things you are grateful for

Have a notebook beside your bed and either have a list that you have already written with the things you are grateful for in it that you can read through - or, make a new list on a Monday morning of all the little things that you can feel good about. It might be the fact that its a sunny day, that you have the opportunity to work to earn money when so many do not, the fact that you have a day to work on your dreams if you don't have a job to go to, the fact that your children slept well or that they gave you a cuddle in the morning, the fact that you have fresh coffee waiting downstairs etc. Ponder these things a little and allow them to bring a smile to your face before you leave them to get up and live the day.

3) Make Monday mornings a treat morning 

We often see Mondays as an end to the treats that we allow ourselves on a weekend and this can make it all the harder to face. Instead, make Mondays a day when you get up and have a really indulgent breakfast - maybe a croissant, pastries, or even a fry up if you can face it and have the time! Save something you really love to eat for a Monday - you'll be looking forward to it all weekend!

4) Wear your best clothes

Get into the swing of feeling confident and happy on a Monday by wearing something that makes you feel really good. Wear that outfit that is a little smarter, a little more colourful or a little more expensive and make sure you feel a million dollars!

5) Have something to look forward to on Monday nights

Have something that you can come home to on a Monday night that you really enjoy - make it a night when you hire a DVD and eat some popcorn with the kids, or go to an exercise class (unless that makes Mondays even more depressing!), or make it the night you see a certain friend, go to talks, do a meditation, read a book, work on your new business for longer hours than usual, call up someone you don't talk to often, nip to the shops to buy a treat etc.

6) Have a slow start

I always give myself a little more time on a Monday morning and arrive a little later at work (don't actually turn up 'late'!). I try to have everything ready on a Sunday night with my plan for the week completed so I know exactly what I need to do each day. I then wake up on a Monday and take longer over my coffee, take a longer shower, stick on a few tunes, read a bit of a magazine and try to feel as relaxed as possible before facing the week.

7) Remind yourself why you are doing this

Mondays are about facing the fact that perhaps there are aspects of your life that are not completely to your satisfaction, we all have to earn money and there will always be things about your job that you love (I love many aspects of mine). So maybe it's time to remind yourself of all the good reasons why this is what you do - perhaps its just so that you can fund the dream of setting up your own business, perhaps it's so you can keep a roof over your heads, whatever the motivation you need to remember that there is a reason and that's why you are still here, you are doing the thing that you need to do right now, congratulate yourself for this, praise your efforts and feel good that you are on your way, however slow the journey may be.

8) Wake and Shake

Get up and move your body! Have a dance, stretch, wiggle around a bit - it all helps to get the body ready for action and feeling alive, alert and good!

9) Sleep well the night before

There is nothing worse than feeling tired right at the start of the week because there will be no further chance for catch up lie ins! Make sure you get to bed on Sunday night at an hour that will give you enough sleep to feel awake in the morning. Ensuring you have got everything prepared for the week is important to your ability to sleep soundly so try to make sure you do this as well.

10) Wake up a little earlier and enjoy the private moment

I love waking up a little earlier than I need to and before my son awakes so that I can have a bit of time to myself. It feels like the world is asleep still, that I have a private moment just between me and the day to greet it quietly and slowly, to grow used to its presence and settle into my thoughts before they are bombarded with the thoughts and needs of others. It's a sort of magical pause that makes Mondays just that little more exciting. Try it for yourself!

What do you do on a Monday morning to feel good? Share with us below in the comments box...

Love Nova xxx