The World Cup Is Over, And It’s Monday Again…

Germany wins! Ok good, can we move on already? But wait…move on to what? The football excitement over the last month has been a thrilling escape from the mundane and given us something to look forward to, even with Australia out early. But now that the matches have all come and gone, it's back to the grind as usual. And the grind, as we know, can be particularly difficult on Mondays. Unfortunately weekends can't last forever, so try one or more of these suggestions to put some extra pep in your monday morning step!

Get Up Early

This may sound like a crazy idea in theory, but setting your alarm for an earlier hour can actually improve your day dramatically. Ignore that demon on your pillow whispering "…just another 5 minutes…" and staying in bed until the absolute last minute, leaving you in a groggy, cloudy and generally miserable headspace. Instead, try kick-starting your brain and getting the blood flowing through your body by jumping out of bed the minute your alarm goes off. Make yourself a nice breakfast, enjoy a morning workout routine, or just sip a cup of coffee. Listening to upbeat music or an interesting podcast will also stimulate your brain.

Devil's Advocate [DA]: Are you kidding? Stimulate my brain? What kind of a sick person actually wants to be in a good mood on a monday morning? To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven, right? Well the purpose of mondays is misery. And now I will sleep, for another 5 minutes.

Say Good Morning

Ever work in a crowded office where you could hear a pin drop on Monday morning? You know, one of those offices where if people need to communicate they just send messages back and forth on the computer, even though the person they're talking to is literally in the same room? How depressing is that? Get vocal! Walk in and speak up! Say good morning, or crack a joke; do something to break that ice that is the Monday morning blues.

DA: This is a horrible idea. The last thing I want to hear on my miserable monday morning is your chipper chirpy mouth. Keep your good mood and your "good morning" to yourself, you happy freak.

Take A Walk

Grab a co-worker and stretch your legs for 10 or 15 minutes while discussing your next project. You'll accomplish just as much as you would in a meeting room, and the fresh air will do you good.

DA: I'm ok with that. Can I just walk alone…?

No.

Use Friday

Use Friday afternoon to wrap up odds and ends, and if you have time left, plan for the next week. Organize your workspace and email folders. Prepare a to-do list for Monday morning so you can be ready to get things done, first thing.

DA: NO WAAAAYYYY!!! Friday afternoons are for facebook stalking! I'm not gonna waste my valuable time actually being productive.