Motivating on a (Work from Home) Monday

Ugh, Monday— it’s cliché, but for some reason they really are the absolute worst. For those of us who work a 9-5 Monday-to-Friday schedule, the “Sunday Scaries” and the “Monday Blues” are all too real. That said, I thought working from home (and being able to sleep in a little later, or do an in-home workout before logging on since I really only have to put on sweatpants anymore, etc.) would be “easier”— but oh, how I miscalculated that one.

Working from home hasn’t made Monday any easier, and at times I actually find it can be harder to self-motivate on a WFH Monday morning. That said, I’ve always had some tips and tricks to get through the Monday Blues and start the week on a high-note, and I wanted to share them with you all.

Beating the Monday Blues: good music, for starters!

This may seem like a no-brainer, but having a playlist full of upbeat music that you love to kickstart your Monday can truly make a difference when it comes to waking up and getting energized. For example, I have two playlists I often like to turn on before work (especially on a Monday), called “Let’s Have an Awesome Day!” and “BOSS” (lame, I know lol!), respectively.

While I pour my coffee in the mornings I put my headphones in, tune the world out, and let the music of power-pop power-houses like Lady Gaga, JUSTICE, Robyn, etc. give me some motivation through their upbeat melodies. Who says the club can’t go up on a Monday?… In your kitchen…? While you sip coffee in your pajamas…? No one, says I!

(Bonus: upbeat music is a must be even nostalgic, alt-rock hits like “Fell in Love with a Girl” by the White Stripes— for example— can help get your blood pumping and get you moving and grooving, even on a gloomy Monday morning.)

If I dress like it’s a music festival every day, it totally can be, right?

A lunch-break you can look forward to

This also seems like a no-brainer, but do you pack a more exciting lunch (or make a more exciting lunch, for those still working remote like me) on Mondays? I’ve found that starting my week off with a dish I’m excited about (taking my lunch break to take the time to make something new and fun I bought ingredients for over the weekend, or even diving into those Sunday dinner leftovers that are somehow even better a day later) makes the morning go by faster, giving me something of a “treat” to look forward to mid-day. It may seem simple, but I guess tricking my brain with food is a good way to get it to create more dopamine and serotonin (which both wake you up, keep you alert, and regulate your mood.)

Does food do this to anyone else? Anyone? I can’t be the only one who thinks hours in advance about the delicious meal I’m going to devour later, right? … Anyone?

My friend Mallory made this spiced baked-ziti for us at a dinner party once, and I think about it all the time. So. GOOD.

So, do you have any other tips and tricks to beat a serious case of the Mondays? Let’s discuss!

Xoxo, MM.