Everyone comes to a point in their lives when things are tough enough to make you want to lose your mind but copasetic enough to make you stay calm, focused and willing to find a solution. Recently I experienced them both. As I prepared to begin my weekend on Friday night, I reflected on my own personal "happy moments" that happened throughout the week. I felt the need to celebrate my week because my midterms went well enough for me to not consider dropping out of college. Then my boyfriend, Alonzo, was sweet enough to bring me coffee and donuts on Wednesday morning. On Thursday, my roommates remembered it was their week to take out the trash and do dishes. Then, when Friday night rolled around I got to enjoy my buzz at Cate Street Pub with girlfriends that are constant reminders of what insanity means. These moments that happened in my week were small victories that led to even bigger things throughout my week. But, why was it that I was still in a place of complacency when I thought about my happy moments?
Well, the following Monday was a day that almost made me want to flip off a cliff and into a sea of profanity, tears and alcohol. Mondays are always hard for people - when the day approaches it's like the fun switch gets turned downed and the whole life process begins again. You get to sleep in on weekends and enjoy not doing anything (unless you're a college student who uses the weekend for more hours of money making without thinking about classes). The Monday blues can exhaust you for the entire week if you allow it and enough is enough. Learning from my own mistakes, I will say that the first thing to do before you end up having a Monday meltdown is to use Sunday evenings as a the ultimate catch up day. That means no drinking, craziness or anything that will tire you before the week begins.
On Sundays I often begin the morning with church service and allow myself to use worship as a way of releasing the stress of the week before. But, if you don't make it to service or are forced to deal with the Saturday night regret of partying hardy, use your Sunday morning as a way to reflect on the good, bad or unaccomplished things that happened that previous week. Reflection brings clarity, which can lead to a productive Sunday Funday and calmer Monday morning. After waking up and getting ready for the day by taking care of your hygienic needs, I suggest that you eat a breakfast or brunch that will help you jump start the day. This is important for anybody, especially if you turned up the night before. The rule is that you put something on your stomach before you take that hangover medicine.
After eating, spend the day with people you enjoy or take the time to get some me time in before you begin a week with coworkers, professors, classmates and assignments. Catch up on that show you've missed or watch the endless hours of "Law and Order: SVU" that seem to always be on television. When the evening comes, that is when I suggest Monday morning prepping. Complete those homework assignments that you have to turn in on Monday and Tuesday. You can also pick out your outfit for the next day, pre-pack your book bag and do anything that will make your transition into a new week a little easier.
If you're like me then your room has still not been given the motherly lecture of being cleaned up but this by far has been the best thing that I have begun doing to make sure that my Monday morning looks similar to how the people in the ZzzQuil commercials wake up. They slowly open their eyes when the sun begins to reflect on their face and then they do that beautiful slow mo stretch that would usually make the person sleeping next to them who was kicked and hit the entire night before, a very jealous person. But, there is truly something magical about waking up to clean room in the mornings, maybe it's because it's a reminder that my life isn't as visually chaotic as it feels.
My only hope is that every person who comes across this article is able to have a Monday that doesn't make them run to Starbucks frequently or only smile when they see their beds again. Take it one day at time and be thankful for the blessing of even waking up. If you aren't able to do that,,then maybe everything above this sentence can help your reevaluate your Sunday. Planning for the race is just as important as participating in it.
