A Case of the Mondays

Poor Monday. If I were to poll a room of people as to which day of the week is their least favorite, I'm fairly certain Monday would win by a long shot.

But why do people dislike Monday so much? Because it marks the end of the weekend and the start of the work or school week? I get that. I've been there. But let's try reframing the idea of hating Mondays and see if struggling through that first day of the week is really worth it.

Let's say most people start school around age 5. (I'm not counting preschool for the purpose of this illustration). And let's say you work until age 65. And let's say you hate every single Monday of every single school week and work week from there on out. If there are approximately 52 Mondays in a year, that means you end up hating 3,120 days of your life. Or, to look at it another way a little more than 8-1/2 years.

That seems like a lot of wasted time to me.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not always Little Miss Sunshine, especially in the morning and definitely not before I've had my coffee. But greeting the days I've been given with optimism and wide open arms is something I'm working on. And I think Mondays are a great place to start, as it sets the tone for the rest of the work week.

Several weeks ago, on a Monday, I took myself on a little field trip to a nearby park over my lunch break. It was a beautiful, sunny fall day and slightly warmer than usual for a Wisconsin October day. As I sat at a picnic table reading my book, I noticed a majestic weeping willow with low hanging branches about a football field away.

That's a perfect climbing tree, I thought.

I quickly glanced around. The park was fairly empty, with just occasional jogger or cyclist moving through the area.

Oh why not! I said to myself, jumping to my feet and walking straight towards the grand tree.

If you're wondering whether or not I climbed a tree on my lunch break in office attire, yes I did. And it was SO MUCH FUN! I loved climbing trees as a kid. In fact, I had my My Tree in the front yard that I sit in for hours reading books.

I can honestly say adding that little bit of childlike play sent me back to the office in a much better mood.

Since then, every Monday lunch break has been marked with some sort of childlike play. I've turned my Monday lunch hour in Monday's recess. Think about it, doesn't the word "recess" bring with it a sense of play and fun and freedom that "lunch" or "lunch break" or "lunch hour" does not.

So my challenge to you is to redefine Mondays. Create your own Monday Recess Ritual. I'd love to here the creatively clever ideas you come up with. If you need a jump start, visit 25 Ways to Turn Your Lunch Break Into Recess.

Now go play!