Why do we hate Monday (other than the fact that it is five days from Friday)? Mondays are rough because as we look at the week ahead of us, we see so many things we don’t necessarily want to do—but have to do—and we don’t even know where to start. We get overwhelmed, stressed, and begin to give up before we can even begin.
That’s what we call “the Monday blues.”
We can jam pack our weekend with activities and not get overwhelmed because we usually plan our time down to the minute to maximize the fun. Well, the same can happen during the week, and it can lead to better productivity and less stress.
Avoiding the Monday Blues
Try these three simple steps to help eliminate stress and increase productivity:
1) Write EVERYTHING down.
In the same way we write vacations and weekend activities down on a calendar, start writing down all of your due dates at the beginning of each week. Whether it is something as small as a one-page reflection paper, or as big as an end of the semester research paper, write it down.
2) Prioritize your list.
Once you get your due dates and test dates written down, you can begin to prioritize. Everyone works differently, so from here individual steps may vary. Some people like to start with the work that will take the longest, or is the hardest. Some people like to start with the easy stuff. Just don’t wait until Thursday to start working on assignments that were due on Tuesday (late penalties are worse than Mondays).
3) Let the fun begin.
I’m not one of those people who loves homework and studying so much that I think its fun. But do you know what is fun? Getting stuff done, crossing it off that list, and moving one step closer to the weekend.
The weekend is fun…but I’ll guarantee you will start to enjoy your weekdays a whole lot better with less stress and more organization. Save time, save energy, and save yourself from the stress of the Monday Blues by getting organized early.
Want more info on time management or dealing with stress? Check out our series on student time management or this story from the Mayo Clinic that CNN posted.
Take some time and share your stress-reducing success stories before planning your weekend fun.