5 Ways to Take the Sting Out of Monday

Updated on 2/17/2014 at 5:00 AM

Coming back to work after a fun, restful weekend is never easy, but it doesn't have to be quite so hard. Check out these five ways to turn your least favorite day of the week into one worth looking forward to.

Set manageable goals: Rather than staring at your massive to-do list and feeling overwhelmed, set lots of little goals for yourself throughout the day. It’ll make it easier to stay focused and on track, and you can give yourself kudos each time you reach a goal.
Reward yourself: Each time you do reach one of your set goals for the day, give yourself a reward! It can be as small as a walk to the kitchen to raid the candy dish, or as big as a 30-minute break to enjoy some fro yo in the sun. Providing your own incentives throughout the day can be a strong defense against a case of the Mondays.
Build a Monday playlist: Remember Jack Black’s special Monday morning playlist in High Fidelity? He may have taken things a little too far, but there’s something to be said for an upbeat list of your favorite tunes to get you through the first day of a long workweek.
Unplug, at least a little: Sure, Monday morning may not be the time to try completely disconnecting at work, but you can unplug to some extent. Once you get caught up on your morning email, turn off your email alerts and set a few designated times to check it throughout the day, and set your IM status to "busy" — you’ll be surprised by how much less scattered you’ll feel.
Do something new: Plan to try a new lunch place, visit a nearby farmers market, or do some stretching in a nearby park during your break. Switching up your routine a little will give you something to look forward to make the day go by more quickly.

Share your tips for combating the Mondays below!