30 Jul How to Make the Best of Mondays
Are you one of those people who goes into work on Monday morning feeling excited and refreshed, ready to take on the new week? No? Well, that’s okay. You’re not alone, and you’re the reason we wrote this article. There are a few things you can do to turn your Monday attitude around and keep others’ bad attitudes from affecting you at work.
First, let’s look at a few ideas that will help you feel happier in general.
Live in and enjoy the moment. Do you spend all weekend dreading the Monday that will inevitably come? Stop that! Worrying won’t make Monday come any slower and it takes away from the joy you do experience over the weekend.
Plan ahead on Fridays. Instead of zoning out on Friday afternoons, take that time to make a plan for how you’ll tackle your workload next week, specifically what you need to accomplish on Monday. When you know you have a clear road map waiting for you, you won’t feel so much anxiety about your to-do list over the weekend.
Visualize a wonderful Monday. While you’re getting ready Monday morning, think about how smooth things could go in the day ahead. Imagine accomplishing the tasks on your to-do list and getting along with your co-workers. Don’t get stuck thinking about problems you might or might not face. Positive visualization is a proven way to set yourself up for success.
When you actively work to cultivate a positive mindset, you’ll change your habits and won’t naturally revert to your usual stressed out response to problems. Stress takes away your ability to make clear decisions, and it also has a negative effect on your overall health.
Work on conditioning your mind to see problems not as these horrible things, but as opportunities to create new solutions. There is no such thing as a world without problems.
They’re a part of everyday life, so it’s crazy to think we can avoid them or run from them. The difference lies in how we tackle them.
Now, let’s look at some ways to prevent the “Negative Nancies” in the office from ruining your day.
Understand that their reactions have nothing to do with you. When people are irritable or constantly moody, 99% of the time it’s because they’re unhappy or struggling with some aspect of their lives. You can’t take their bad attitude personally.
Be compassionate. Like the proverb goes, every other person is fighting a battle we know nothing about. Your grumpy co-worker could be dealing with a serious illness, marital issues or financial woes. Give them the same empathy you’d want if you were in their shoes.
Be thankful and show gratitude for the many positive things in your life. Keep in mind that no matter how stressful your job is, there’s someone out there who would kill to have it.
When you feel stress coming on, take several deep breaths in and out. Learn to recognize the feeling of your body responding to stress. This is something you can control and learn to change.
Focus only on what you can control and zone out everything else. You can’t control your coworker or boss’ bad attitude. What you can control is how you respond to it and how successfully you reach solutions in the workplace.
If you don’t have to actively work with a difficult person, try to stay away from them. Instead, befriend a more positive co-worker or do something kind for an unsuspecting officemate. You’ll automatically feel the good karma.
Over time, others will begin to see you as a positive force in the workplace, and that positive energy is contagious. Remember, your attitude is a choice that only you can control. You don’t have to fall victim to the knee-jerk reaction to stress.