ARTICLE: I HATE MONDAYS OR I HATE MY JOB?

For decades, Monday has been considered the worst day of the week. But is it really? Brace yourself  for the startling truth.

Yes it is. Putting aside the feel-good psychobabble from the affirmation peddlers, there are three good reasons for hating Monday:

1.  Hate job. Many Nigerians hate their job. Fewer than half say they are satisfied. The trend is strongest among workers under the age of 25, with less than 39 per cent reporting that they are satisfied with their job. Workers age 45 to 54 have the second lowest levels of satisfaction. 

2.  Vacation ends. If just back from an incredible vacation, free of schedules, deadlines, projects, pressure and getting up early, that first day back at work – Monday – can be a depressing shock.

3. Weekend is over. The most common reason for hating Monday is that it follows two days of freedom and fun. For most, however, that’s sheer fantasy. Whether single or have family responsibilities, the weekend is chore time – cleaning, shopping, fixing and buying.

So weekends are not all they’re cracked up to be. Still, there are plenty of moments where you can hang back to do whatever you want, which makes Monday a shock that’s difficult to deal with.

Four tips for kicking the Monday blues

Even if you love your job, Monday may still be a tough day to grapple with, simply because it means you have to shift from relaxation mode to work mode.

Tip 1: Pay attention to thoughts and feelings. It’s impossible to catch all the thousands of thoughts that pass through your mind each day, so focus on the first ones that pop into your head. They usually predict the worst and incorporate a “can’t do” or “shouldn’t do” message. See them for what they are: unfounded and irrational. Typically, they’re the result of negative conditioning and have little or nothing to do with reality. Think carefully about these negative thoughts. Once you realize that they’re not based on anything real, they’ll disappear in time.

Tip 2: Obliterate negative feelings. If negative feelings surface, such as This won’t work; they won’t like me; this is a waste of time; this will make me look stupid; I hate doing this; or I’m going to screw this up - challenge the thought by coming up with an alternative positive feeling. For example, This is going to work; I can do this; it’s worked before, so it will work again; or This can’t stop me. Thus, you are controlling your thoughts instead of letting them control you.

Tip 3: Relish positive emotion. Take the new emotion you’ve created with the new thought (joy, excitement, enthusiasm, confidence, etc.) and savor the pleasant feeling.

Have a lovely week ahead from  Winifred!!!