10 Effective Ways to Avoid the Bad Case of Mondays

Redbooth, a maker of workflow management software, and Priceonomics, a data-focused marketing studio, analyzed two years of data from hundreds of thousands of employees. The results revealed that Monday mornings at 11 AM would be the peak of productivity. It may surprise many professionals, as Monday would be the most consistently derided of days. In this workaholic culture, it's safe to say that most of us are secretly happiest during the first day of the working week.

The data also showed that employees would be most productive during the month of October. Could it be the change of colors? Perhaps. There may be a thing called fall fever, as opposed to spring fever. It doesn't mean that October must be that time of the year to hold more meetings. On the other hand, there's a reason why employment productivity goes down in the afternoon. There will be distractions, not to mention errands that are not related to work. (Married professionals, with kids, should know better.) Let's talk about Monday once more.

There are probably a million reasons behind Monday blues (a. k. a. Bad Case of Mondays). It can be narrowed down to ten.

How to Identify the Problems

Negative feeling with a colleague. It can be due to a trivial matter, which happens on a Monday morning. It can be a feeling that has been simmering for weeks, which is about to come to a fore (on a Monday morning). If it's personal in nature, then it might be better to keep it to yourself. After all, the office is not the place to cultivate friendship. On the other hand, it's a challenge to deal with a workmate whom you chat frequently. If not that, then someone whom you can call a friend (in the office). Let's start it with a smile. Invite your colleague for a drink (or lunch). Stick to the topics that you enjoy the most.

You don't feel challenged at all. You have a busy schedule during the weekend, which is understandable if it's family matters. If it's an activity that you enjoy since your college days, then you must reevaluate your priorities. On the other hand, you must have reached a plateau in your performance level. Why not set a few goals? It will be better to do it on a Monday. You should feel good after accomplishing it, such that it will motivate you to do better during the rest of the week. Treat yourself on a Friday night.

There are too many things to do on a Monday. Your boss may be impressed at your initiative, but you must do it. Don't ever think about exceeding what you have set (in the beginning), as this may lead to a burnout. If there are many things to do, then figure it out if you can do all of in on the first day (of the working week). A meeting can be set on Tuesday or Wednesday. There are no excuses for falling short.

Traffic. It's something beyond your control. Wake up early. Make sure that you arrive in the office half an hour before the start of your schedule.

You're tired and sleepy (on a Monday morning). You've been watching late, if not hanging out with your friends. How about rescheduling it? Saturday will be better.

You might be sick. If it will affect your performance, then tell your boss. This is not the best time to act like a hero.

You don't have a post-work plan(s). You don't have something to look forward to. You can have dinner with a friend. You can watch a movie. You need to catch up on your favorite TV series. There are many options, so there's no excuse.

It might be the attitude. Optimism, even in small doses, can be contagious to anyone. It can be a tall order in the beginning, but nothing is impossible with persistence. Long sleep will help too.

You're unhappy about something. If it's the routine, then you can take a leave. (A holiday will refresh you, also find your resolve to go through the working week.) If it's your clothing, which doesn't THE look of (professional) success, then you know where you'll head next. If it's your body, then you must hit the gym more often. It might also be the sugar, so think green.

It may be a serious problem. If you're thinking of a career change, then better talk to a trusted colleague about it. You can also bring up the topic to your family. This may require some time, so don't discount the possibility of taking a holiday.

A case of Monday mornings

It will be best not to do the hardest tasks during the first few hours of your (working) schedule. You don't know what lies in the afternoon if your boss has a task (or two) for you. Do the lighter ones in the morning. You should start on the challenging ones at 11 AM. You know the reasons too well.