10 Ways to Fight the Monday Blues

Dress from Target, Shoes old (similar here), Hat from J. Crew Factory, Ring from Kendra Scott, Bag from Draper James, bracelet from Tory Burch, Clutch from J. Crew, Sunglasses old (similar here and here), Earrings seen here.

Hidy ho! Did everyone have a great weekend? How was easing back into your Monday? I feel like it was especially hard for me. I had a serious case of the Monday blues. With our weekend happenings keeping me so busy…it’s never easy when the alarm clock goes off on Monday morning. Just one more day…”amiright”?

I think it was particularly hard this past Monday because Trent and I had such a nice weekend together.

Our Friday night kicked things off right. I had a serious hankering for crab legs, so off to Fahlstrom’s Fresh Fish Market we went. This is the 3rd time this month. You think I’d be so crabby by now! HA! You see what I did there?

After dinner, we gave Dakota her dreaded bath. I love watching her run around the house like a mad dog after she’s out. It’s really funny.

Saturday morning, Trent picked up fresh donuts and coffee. Chivalry is not dead, ladies.

After stuffing my face, we headed to the vet for Dakota’s annual check up…she is A-OK.

Next, we did some shopping. This included Homegoods, Kendra Scott and Home Depot.

Homegoods has the most beautiful pots right now. However, I walked out with a pot, PLUS an oversize mirror, a desk chair and a few other trinkets. Story of my life. This shopping made me hungry. Making the brunch decision was hard because there are so many places I love. We ended up settling on Crosby’s Kitchen. 

During the wait for our table, Trent and I checked out the new Kendra Scott store where I picked up a gorgeous, stackable ring.

Now that my finger was glammed up and my stomach was full, we went over to Home Depot to pick out our flowers that we decorate our patio with every year. The petunias, roses and geraniums caught my eye. We also grabbed some herbs for our mini herb garden.

Once home, we planted the flowers, relaxed on the patio and grilled out.

Sunday was just as equally packed, even though we swore we’d relax more. Trent planned a nice Mother’s Day brunch for me at The Hampton Social. I am so happy I was able to finally try this place. The ambiance is adorable and the drinks are perfection. As you can imagine, it’s themed like the Hampton’s.

On to errands, and then home. Once we were home, we went on a run along the lakeside. We clocked 4 miles, which I was pretty happy with. We use Strava to time and map our routes. Love this app!

Now it was Sunday night and “that feeling” rushed over me. You know “that feeling”…the one where reality sinks in and you realize you’ll be getting up in 8 hours and going back to work?! Yeah, you know what I am talkin’ about.

Well, we all need a little extra motivation sometimes. I thought I would share a few of the ways I battle my Monday morning blues and start the day on a positive note.

1. Wake up 15 minutes earlier than you usually do. I know this sounds awful considering all we’d rather sleep-in, but it really does help. It gives me extra time to reflect, plan my day or watch the news. Trent and I actually have some of our best conversations first thing in the morning.

2. Go to the gym or be active. I actually need to do this more. Think about it though, exercise gets the endorphin’s going which make us feel happy. Maybe take that extra 15 minutes and go for a walk. I know on the mornings when I walk Dakota, I always feel refreshed and revived.

3. Use the timer on your coffee pot and have breakfast planned for the morning. Trent will usually prepare the coffee the night before (yes, I am lucky) but I try to do it when he is traveling for work. It’s so nice to have the pot ready to go first thing when you wake up. I try to plan for breakfast too. I’ll put out the pan to scramble my eggs and anything else that motivates me to eat well in the morning.

4. Think about/write down 3 things you are thankful for. I think waking up with a grateful heart is so important. Yesterday I reflected on my husband, my mom and my job. Even though I am not excited to start my work day, I am so very thankful for my great career and the support of loved ones.

5. Wear a really cute outfit/dress for success. I work from home, so this doesn’t always apply to me. I will say that when I shower first thing in the morning and get dressed in something other than my pajama’s or workout clothes, I feel like a million bucks.

6. Make the most of your commute. Whether you take the train, the bus, an Uber or drive yourself, there are ways to make more of your commute. Some ideas include: Try listening to a podcast or an audio book. Bring a book and read. Make your to-do list for the week. Plan something fun for the following weekend. Call someone you have been wanting to catch up with. These will all start things on a positive, productive note.

7. Plan out your week so Monday is lighter. Monday is hard enough, so having a million things to do does not help. I try to put more into my Thursday and Friday morning. Monday is a good day to play catch up and to prepare your goals for the week. I try to schedule some of my internal meetings on Monday so those are out of the way for the week.

8. Put a post- work activity on the calendar for Monday. This could be dinner with a friend, shopping, reading, watching a movie, a new workout, trying a new activity…really the list goes on and on. My point is to plan something to look forward to on Monday. This way it’s not just always about the weekend.

9. Read inspirational quotes or listen to a song that pumps you up! This is perfect for that extra 15 minutes or on your commute. I love quotes! Inspirational quotes always motivate me on Monday morning. Here are some of my favorites.

10. Maybe you need to rethink what you’re doing. If nothing seems to help and Monday is always awful, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate. Maybe the job you have isn’t right for you, maybe your family situation isn’t the best. Whatever is giving you those Monday blues, reset and make a change.

Let me know how these go or if you have any ideas I can add to my list.