I hate Mondays
Validating your Monday anxieties and sharing what I do to handle mine
Disclaimer: All content and information included in this post are for informational purposes only. The information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advise and you should not rely solely on this information.
I cannot remember a time in my life when I did not dread Mondays. When I was an undergraduate student, my anxiety for Mondays was so bad that it made Sundays the day of preparation for the next day. If you wanted to hang out with me in my twenties and even in the decade or so after, the best days to get me out of the house were on Friday evenings and the whole day of Saturday.
Why I hate Mondays?
In the Philippines, a typical college student course-load ranges from 21 to 26 units. The term “units” correspond to “credit hours” in the United States educational system. Major course subjects are worth 5 units (or credit hours), while minor course subjects are at 3 units. Just to spell that out for those who are unfamiliar, a regular college student in the Philippines would have at least 5 to 8 classes per semester, which they have to attend from Monday to Friday (even Saturdays, for some universities).
With that level of course-load, any student who is serious enough to try to get a passing grade needs to put the work in even on weekends. The pressure tends to get higher for those who are aiming higher and hoping to qualify for a good graduate program or preparing for medical or law school applications.
In the United States, as a graduate student, the highest course-load for my program was at 9 to 12 credit hours per semester but that was not inclusive of the required teaching and research hours. With a lot of luck, doctoral students would need to read at least 200 pages of journal articles for their classes in addition to literature related to their field of study.
For my first corporate job as a researcher, I was required to show up in another side of the country or the world bright and early on Mondays so travel was a necessity over the weekend. While travel abroad was certainly a fun thing to do, it did get old when it was done for work and under such a hectic schedule.
How did I overcome it?
As a student
Time-management and discipline were prerequisites for my survival, especially in the Philippine society where expectations tended to be and felt higher with regards to higher education. I slept when I had to, woke up at the required time, and did not give myself any excuse to procrastinate.
I chose the right crowd to spend time with to ensure that our goals were consistent with each other. We knew when to party and when to study. We spent time with each other while doing our class assignments. We spent hours at coffee shops discussing our lectures and quizzing each other. We were each other’s pairs when we started writing our college thesis.
I made sure that Sundays were spent at home and in preparation for Monday. On Sundays, I made my checklists for the week and then identified what needed to get accomplished on Monday. This made me feel in control of my life. This lessened moments spent hyperventilating for things that are still unfinished. I still had some bad breakdowns on Sunday nights and Monday mornings, but it was only when life was made complicated by cheating boyfriends or family issues. With those sources identified, I cut off ties with those sources of drama and focused on my goals. Eyes on the prize, indeed.
As an executive
Being a leader forces a person to take a different perspective and evaluate decisions with a context far greater than ourselves. I started the practice of “Bookending” my week and I try my best to encourage individuals in my team to do the same. The concept of “bookends” simply means, do rituals for the start and end of a timeframe. I have a ritual for each day and I have a version of that for each week with the specific purpose of addressing my Monday anxieties.
The value of using bookends for our physical books is that they keep the books neatly arranged and standing on the shelves or on top of wherever they are arranged. Literally, bookends mark the start and end of the line of vertically-arranged books.
Using these rituals as our figurative bookends to manage our days functions the same way. It prevents us from toppling over and keeps us steady to fulfill the responsibilities that we are committed to deliver.
What are my “bookends”?
Bookends for the Week
Monday. The first 2 hours of my Monday mornings are blocked from any meetings (unless there is an emergency). I dedicate this time to review what I have accomplished the week before and revisit the list of goals I have set for myself for the week. I prioritize the goals based on urgency, difficulty, and their corresponding dependencies. Then, I set the specific tasks for that day alone.
I ask myself: What is realistic for me to accomplish today?
Friday. The last 2 hours of my Friday afternoons are blocked for the sole purpose of retrospective analysis for what I have accomplished, identify goals for the following week, and submit my accomplished tasks list to our leadership. This helps me put into perspective the amount of work I was able to complete and gives me a clearer perspective on my productivity and also allows me to indulge on my sense of self-pride.
I remind myself: I was able to accomplish all of these within the week so I should feel deserving of uninterrupted two-day weekend.
Then, I transfer the list of unfinished tasks to the Kanban for the following Monday.
As a leader, I put the Monday and Friday bookends for everyone under my team, by default. They are empowered to manage their time the way they see fit but I wanted them to feel supported should they need that Monday mornings and Friday afternoons to do the rituals that would begin and end their week.
Do I still hate Mondays?
I would be lying if I say that I have zero anxieties now about Mondays. Of course, I still do, especially when important meetings, deadlines, or presentations are due on a Monday. However, I can honestly say that I am able to manage my emotions a lot better using the “bookends” strategy. Having rituals that properly mark the beginning and ending of my week leave me grounded, calm, and collected; and, having that allows me to be a better person at work and also for the people around me be it in my professional or my personal life.
Reflect with me:
🧠 What mindfulness techniques have you tried recently?
🗓️ How do you manage your week to stay productive and balanced?
😱 Have you ever experienced the Monday anxieties that I described above?
💬 Comment below 👇 and 🔄 restack this post
My Neurodiverse Series focuses on mindfulness and strategies I use to manage the challenges that I encounter on a daily basis.
I am a shift-worker and do a 4 on 4 off rotation of 12 hour shifts. To offset the dreaded "Mondays", I would do all my planning & prep 2 days before going back to work, leaving the day before for fun, rest, creativity, nourishment...whatever filled my cup. I found this helped alleviate the anxiety and I felt less hurried.
Great tips here.I can relate to making sunday be relaxed monday strategy...will share this post.