So, there is a trend that I've noticed, and that is a horrible disdain for Mondays. It's true, this is a start of a LONG week and a start of school, work, or whatever. Long times are ahead, filled with projects, exams, papers, and just plain adjustment from that wild and crazy weekend (though mine are usually me staying up until 11 and waking up at 7...like a rebel). My Mondays aren't that bad this semester due to the fact that I have no class on Mondays or Fridays, and I love every second of it. It's the bomb diggity, but Mondays can still be terrible. Poor Monday, it never had a chance.
Or does it?
I have resolved this semester to love Mondays. You heard that right, love them. They're still going to be there, and the multitude of things to do that week will be there too. But I have a few tips for you to make your Monday rock, following anecdotal evidences of why they actually suck.
Mondays = Stress. Yes, this may be true, but WHY are they stressful? Let's break it down: I have an exam this week, I have a project due soon, I have so many appointments, I'm tired. All of those things are completely in your control. Yes, I said it. You're the reason why you're stressed.
1. What did you do this weekend? Did anything this week strike you as important to note? Probably not. Weekends are turning into a time to completely check out. Studies have shown that once distracted from a task it takes 5 minutes to completely refocus. 5 minutes x 10 texts about that crazy hangout later = a whole 50 minutes of distraction, and that's IF you were focused in the first place. Weekends are definitely there for recharging, but do yourself a favor, and devote an hour and a half to uninterrupted (meaning put your phone in a drawer) productivity. This way, it will never feel like you took a break from work, and thus won't be such a shock when you start up again.
2. That sleep schedule. You know it's true. Studies show that when you alter your sleep schedule from what is typical, you are more likely to feel groggy and discombobulated when you readjust. Changing your sleep schedule and having your body adjust to it may take months! You're losing precious work hours by vegging out 12 hours at night on weekends. You wake up feeling "refreshed" but in actuality you are more tired the rest of the day. Make it a goal to sleep 8 hours a night, even on weekends. If the getting up hurts, set a coffee pot timer. Something that helps me wake up is setting an alarm for 20 minutes before I'm supposed to get up so that I am already pretty much awake. It's also important to sleep around the same time (give or take a few hours) each night and wake up around the same time. For example, during the school week, I sleep from about 10:30-6, and the weekends it's more like 11:30-7:30. My body has gotten so used to it that sleeping 10 hours just makes me sick!
3. Schedule your week ahead of time! Set a time during your weekend when you will take out your planner (and if you don't have one, get one), and well...plan! My planner is organized by hour and I put everything in it, too. Put in your classes, your appointments, your times with clubs/church, and note what you have to do! Look at Thursday and see how it's jammed up...well, then do your work early for that day. See how Tuesday is chill? Do more extra work or get coffee with your friend that day. The point is, you really HAVE a lot of time, I'm almost guaranteeing it, you may just need to visualize it. If you see there is a lot of time here or there, you will be more apt to being productive and less apt to hating everything that has to do with starting this week. I will even schedule when and how long I will study and stick to it like I would a doctor's appointment so I can sleep at 10:30. Don't procrastinate. You'll hate Mondays even more because you're going to dwell on how long you've put everything off!
4. Change your attitude. A lot of the things we hate about Mondays are hyper-inflated by everyone around us. We need to look at them from a different perspective, like, "Hey, I was actually ready for this terrible week, I am going to make the most of it," because think about it, why do most people hate summer by July? We aren't doing ANYTHING. You need to enjoy the work. Cherish it. Why? Because being inactive makes you feel sluggish. Synapses aren't firing as often. You're not being stimulated. Make your work fun. Look at your study guides as a game. Listen to music. Anything. There are no rules as to how you put the information in your brain. Something I like to do not related to studying is cleaning my room on Mondays. The weekend can pile up lots of things and I can oftentimes look at my environment as a reason to hate my life. Stop that right now! Pick up those papers, put them in folders, take the sheets and fold them, make your bed, pick up your clothes, organize your desk, put your planner on your desk and just feel the chi flow. Remember, it only takes one deep cleaning to set you up for maintenance, and believe me, your brain will thank you.
So let's change our views on Mondays, and learn to LOVE what renewal they have to offer!
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