It's Monday morning, and you feel like you've been tossed around by a series of unfriendly waves. A steep mountain of work looms ahead, and you're trying to drag a reluctant self out of bed. The weekend trip was too short, and the Sunday party went on for too long. Your head aches, the muscles are on strike… It's the familiar attack of the dreaded Monday Morning Blues (MMB), “a case of the Mondays” as Office Spaces tells you.
If it's any consolation, count yourself as one-in-millions of weekly sufferers. As Ram, a business consultant, says of Monday mornings: “Work kills all on Monday mornings. It could be the sleepy-n-lazy Sunday bout. I face it with reluctance, procrastination, and play the blame game. But, I just can't beat it, my friend.”
MMB is as real as jetlag, but “it's not an illness”, consoles psychiatrist Mohan Raj. “It's a condition characterised by a low desire to return to the ‘grind'. If you enjoy your work, you'll enjoy the break as well as getting back to work. So, look for the larger issue. Why do you feel blue every Monday morning?
Is it sleep deficit? Problems at work? The wrong job? Or, a bad boss turning every week into five miserable days? “For a lot of IT professionals, it is unreasonable deadlines and chasing impossible targets,” the psychiatrist says, adding: “They sleep all weekend, have no outdoor activity, and do nothing they find enjoyable. MMB is a natural by-product.”
It's like having a cold. Mention MMB, and everyone around turns into an instant MBBS. Treatment tips waver from the flippant “Sleep an extra hour” to a serious discussion on setting the body clock right. Still, these bullet-point dos may help.
Get a grip
Take action to beat MMB. Before locking up for the weekend, clear files on the table and in-box, and write Monday's to-do list. On Sunday night, wash your hair, lay out your dress and pack your briefcase. You'll get 15 extra minutes of sleep. When the alarm goes off, leap out, don't linger between the sheets. Stand in bright sunlight and watch your grogginess disappear.
Start a morning exercise routine — yoga, aerobics, jogging or swimming. Your body will get the message: it's time for work. Reinforce it with a shot of strong coffee.
Switch on the metallic music you dig. End the shower with a jet of cold water; it's sure to get your blood pumping. All or some of it might make you Monday-worthy.
Or, pick something interesting to do on Monday mornings. “My antidote for MMB is the five-minute book read and blogpost on Dearreader.com,” says Amisha, a 12-hour-days techie. “The funny posts Suzanne writes is guaranteed to perk you up.”
Others start planning weekend gigs, read inspirational stuff or log onto icanhascheezburger.com for pictures uploaded over the weekend. You could call colleagues for a “connect” exercise, or friends to complain. Ranting is a great way to ward off the blues.
Should you have meetings the first thing on Mondays? Says leadership coach Nagesh Belludi: “Take a mini-break midweek. Take time off on Wednesday afternoons. Leave early and do something out of your routine and relax.”
And if the condition persists, maybe it is depression, and you need medical help.
“Sit back and view life from a fresh perspective,” suggests Dr. Mohan Raj. “MMB could be the harbinger of a bigger problem. If you're unhappy with what you do, it's time for change. Quit and do a course. Do what you always wanted to.”
