Get back into the groove, Student Accountant, December 2010
You don’t have to start your working week with murder in your eyes, nostrils flaring, and teeth a-grinding. Iwona Tokc-Wilde finds out how to beat the weekend blues.
A recent study by the mental health charity Mind has found that 26% of UK employees are anxious about going back to work on Mondays. Although it is reassuring that Mondays and, in many Asian countries, Sundays do not fill all of us with dread, we do all know the sinking feeling when the alarm goes off, the weekend is over, and we cannot bear the thought of getting out of bed.
Perhaps we partied all weekend and now feel like death warmed up. Perhaps we suddenly remember the report we need to finish and hand in by noon. Or, perhaps, we dread facing our miserable colleagues again. For many of us this scenario plays out at the start of every working week and the feeling is compounded when we have not accomplished everything we had planned for the weekend.
So, is there no panacea for the case of weekend blues? Fear not - as with many chronic conditions, the answer could be in the ‘mind over matter’. Assuming you do not want to spend a seventh part of your life feeling fed up, try to acquire these simple habits instead of pushing the snooze button repeatedly.
Before you wind down
Before you finish work and leave the office for the weekend, tidy your desk and prepare for the following week, even if you do not feel like it. ‘Make a to-do list so you know what you’re going to tackle in the coming week. You’ll be ready to get right back into the groove, rather than spend your first morning engaged in the painful process of sorting out your priorities,’ recommends Noreen Blanluet, a life and business coach and founder of consultancy Be Amazing Today.
But beware of filling your list with mundane tasks, says Blanluet, or you will achieve the effect opposite to that intended. ‘Instead, consider what part of your job makes you feel most alive and what gives you most satisfaction. Then incorporate these ideas into your schedule. If they're not present - or there aren’t enough of them - you need to redress the balance,’ she says.
Avoid weekend traps
Now you have done all the prep for the following week - hurray, the weekend’s here! At least this is what you think at first, before you realise there is the food shopping to do, and the cleaning, and all the other chores you have not done during the week... It is easy to fall into this trap, but try not to. ’Set aside at least one whole day for ‘chilling’ so it’s not a mad round of activity, which will leave you exhausted,’ says Sharon Eden, an Inner Leadership Coach and Psychotherapist. Chilling, however, does not mean spending the whole weekend vegging out in front of the TV, adds Blanluet: ‘Active relaxation is far more rewarding for our mental and emotional health - and that includes connecting with people, being in nature, and gentle exercise.’
We are prone to falling into yet another trap on the evening before our return to the office. ‘This is when we often find ourselves at a loose end, already anticipating going back to work and not fully enjoying the last few hours of our time off,’ says Blanluet. ‘To combat this frame of mind, get into a habit of doing something that makes you feel good to close the weekend: go to a yoga class, have a weekly film night with friends or, simply, spend quality time with your partner or loved ones.’
And, to give yourself that additional psychological boost before you go to sleep, Eden recommends laying out clothes you like, and feel powerful in, to wear in the morning. Or, adopt a different tack altogether and find something you and others can have a giggle at. ‘You do take your work and your colleagues seriously, but you don’t have to be serious yourself, at least not all the time,’ says Sue Cohen, experienced learning and development specialist and founder of consultancy Sue Cohen Ltd. ‘Find something outrageous to wear, which you can remove if necessary, maybe a scarf or a crazy tie, and have a spare one for meetings.’
When the inevitable comes
In addition to ensuring that you get the best out of your weekend, there are tricks you can employ to psych yourself up for the day ahead. Cohen recommends getting up earlier than usual. ‘Another 10 minutes in bed doesn’t make much difference and you can use this time to walk to work a bit further than normally - park at the far end of the car park; get off the bus a stop earlier; take the long route from the train station,’ she says. This will soothe your mind before you hit the office floor running.
When you do get into the office, avoid colleagues who bring your mood down and seek the company of those with sunnier dispositions. ‘How you think and feel is influenced by the people you mix with so, on the first morning after the weekend, try and schedule in some social interaction with enthusiastic and encouraging ‘pull-you-uppers’,’ says Eden.
Be one of those ‘pull-you-uppers’ yourself: smile and say good morning. ‘Even to the grumpy, scary senior manager. They might not respond on the first day, or even the second, but keep doing it and they'll do so eventually,’ says Cohen. Also, pepper your day with little deeds of kindness – there is nothing like a little bit of altruism to start feeling good about ourselves and those around us. ‘Be nice to someone else - just because you can. Give them your newspaper when you've finished with it, or the extra change they need for the car park. And put some money in a charity box,’ suggests Cohen.
What if it doesn’t work?
Hopefully that sinking feeling does not mar the start of your every week, but what if it does indeed? ‘Think about why you’re in this job. Is it a way to pay the bills while you’re finishing your studies? Is it a stepping stone to better career prospects?’ asks Blanluet. ‘You should be able to persevere if you understand that it’s a step towards a rosier future,’ she explains. This is particularly important if you are just starting out on your career path. ‘You need to bear in mind where you’re aiming to get to in one/three/five years’ time, and how every week you work can help you get there,’ adds Cohen.
However, there are some warning signs which you should not ignore. If you are constantly feeling anxious about going back to the office, you need to work out why, says Blanluet: ‘Talk about it - with a loved one, a friend, or a professional coach who can offer a supportive yet neutral perspective. Those negative feelings may indicate that something’s amiss, either on the personal or inter-personal level. Identifying the issue will enable you to address it.’
Finally, do not forget the power of positive thinking. Failing that, remember: it’s only four more days till the weekend!
Recommended further reading
THE END
A recent study by the mental health charity Mind has found that 26% of UK employees are anxious about going back to work on Mondays. Although it is reassuring that Mondays and, in many Asian countries, Sundays do not fill all of us with dread, we do all know the sinking feeling when the alarm goes off, the weekend is over, and we cannot bear the thought of getting out of bed.
Perhaps we partied all weekend and now feel like death warmed up. Perhaps we suddenly remember the report we need to finish and hand in by noon. Or, perhaps, we dread facing our miserable colleagues again. For many of us this scenario plays out at the start of every working week and the feeling is compounded when we have not accomplished everything we had planned for the weekend.
So, is there no panacea for the case of weekend blues? Fear not - as with many chronic conditions, the answer could be in the ‘mind over matter’. Assuming you do not want to spend a seventh part of your life feeling fed up, try to acquire these simple habits instead of pushing the snooze button repeatedly.
Before you wind down
Before you finish work and leave the office for the weekend, tidy your desk and prepare for the following week, even if you do not feel like it. ‘Make a to-do list so you know what you’re going to tackle in the coming week. You’ll be ready to get right back into the groove, rather than spend your first morning engaged in the painful process of sorting out your priorities,’ recommends Noreen Blanluet, a life and business coach and founder of consultancy Be Amazing Today.
But beware of filling your list with mundane tasks, says Blanluet, or you will achieve the effect opposite to that intended. ‘Instead, consider what part of your job makes you feel most alive and what gives you most satisfaction. Then incorporate these ideas into your schedule. If they're not present - or there aren’t enough of them - you need to redress the balance,’ she says.
Avoid weekend traps
Now you have done all the prep for the following week - hurray, the weekend’s here! At least this is what you think at first, before you realise there is the food shopping to do, and the cleaning, and all the other chores you have not done during the week... It is easy to fall into this trap, but try not to. ’Set aside at least one whole day for ‘chilling’ so it’s not a mad round of activity, which will leave you exhausted,’ says Sharon Eden, an Inner Leadership Coach and Psychotherapist. Chilling, however, does not mean spending the whole weekend vegging out in front of the TV, adds Blanluet: ‘Active relaxation is far more rewarding for our mental and emotional health - and that includes connecting with people, being in nature, and gentle exercise.’
We are prone to falling into yet another trap on the evening before our return to the office. ‘This is when we often find ourselves at a loose end, already anticipating going back to work and not fully enjoying the last few hours of our time off,’ says Blanluet. ‘To combat this frame of mind, get into a habit of doing something that makes you feel good to close the weekend: go to a yoga class, have a weekly film night with friends or, simply, spend quality time with your partner or loved ones.’
And, to give yourself that additional psychological boost before you go to sleep, Eden recommends laying out clothes you like, and feel powerful in, to wear in the morning. Or, adopt a different tack altogether and find something you and others can have a giggle at. ‘You do take your work and your colleagues seriously, but you don’t have to be serious yourself, at least not all the time,’ says Sue Cohen, experienced learning and development specialist and founder of consultancy Sue Cohen Ltd. ‘Find something outrageous to wear, which you can remove if necessary, maybe a scarf or a crazy tie, and have a spare one for meetings.’
When the inevitable comes
In addition to ensuring that you get the best out of your weekend, there are tricks you can employ to psych yourself up for the day ahead. Cohen recommends getting up earlier than usual. ‘Another 10 minutes in bed doesn’t make much difference and you can use this time to walk to work a bit further than normally - park at the far end of the car park; get off the bus a stop earlier; take the long route from the train station,’ she says. This will soothe your mind before you hit the office floor running.
When you do get into the office, avoid colleagues who bring your mood down and seek the company of those with sunnier dispositions. ‘How you think and feel is influenced by the people you mix with so, on the first morning after the weekend, try and schedule in some social interaction with enthusiastic and encouraging ‘pull-you-uppers’,’ says Eden.
Be one of those ‘pull-you-uppers’ yourself: smile and say good morning. ‘Even to the grumpy, scary senior manager. They might not respond on the first day, or even the second, but keep doing it and they'll do so eventually,’ says Cohen. Also, pepper your day with little deeds of kindness – there is nothing like a little bit of altruism to start feeling good about ourselves and those around us. ‘Be nice to someone else - just because you can. Give them your newspaper when you've finished with it, or the extra change they need for the car park. And put some money in a charity box,’ suggests Cohen.
What if it doesn’t work?
Hopefully that sinking feeling does not mar the start of your every week, but what if it does indeed? ‘Think about why you’re in this job. Is it a way to pay the bills while you’re finishing your studies? Is it a stepping stone to better career prospects?’ asks Blanluet. ‘You should be able to persevere if you understand that it’s a step towards a rosier future,’ she explains. This is particularly important if you are just starting out on your career path. ‘You need to bear in mind where you’re aiming to get to in one/three/five years’ time, and how every week you work can help you get there,’ adds Cohen.
However, there are some warning signs which you should not ignore. If you are constantly feeling anxious about going back to the office, you need to work out why, says Blanluet: ‘Talk about it - with a loved one, a friend, or a professional coach who can offer a supportive yet neutral perspective. Those negative feelings may indicate that something’s amiss, either on the personal or inter-personal level. Identifying the issue will enable you to address it.’
Finally, do not forget the power of positive thinking. Failing that, remember: it’s only four more days till the weekend!
Recommended further reading
- Whack Around the Head – Purpose, Passion and Power at Work Right Now! (Sharon Eden, Amazon £11.69)
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen R. Covey, Amazon £6.99)
- www.mindtools.com (‘essential skills for an excellent career’)
THE END
© Iwona Tokc-Wilde