Love ’em or hate ’em, Mondays come for all of us! Over the past few years in the workforce, I’ve developed a few go-to things that I try to incorporate into my Mondays to help start my week on the best foot. These little productivity tips help me keep the Sunday scaries at bay! Trust me, these don’t always happen, but when they do, I feel so much more put together.
1. Make your bed
If you’re looking to build new habits or start a new routine, I recommend starting with one simple habit: making your bed. If you’re already in the habit of doing that every day, it probably sounds so simple, but I think it’s so important. There’s a reason this is always one of the top productivity tips you’ll find on podcasts! (Mel Robbins, I’m looking at you). First, you’re starting your day with discipline, and it becomes a domino effect. I really do find that when I start my day with good habits, I’m more likely to continue them. Second, there is nothing more calming than coming home to a freshly made bed instead of coming home to even more work after a long day.
2. Movement first thing
One of the most important things I’ve learned about myself in the last few years is that if I don’t take a workout class first thing in the morning, odds are high I won’t get to in the evening. And I definitely will not come home and do a YouTube workout because anytime the instructor says, “You can do it!” I say, “You don’t know me” and press pause on the remote. Not something you can do to a real instructor, so I need to be in-person! I take X4 classes—you can take your first for free!
It’s really hard in the moment to choose getting out of bed instead of snoozing, but I have to remind myself each time that I feel better when I’ve started my day doing something just for me, especially at the beginning of the week. I love taking workout classes in Birmingham, but I think any movement is good movement, whether it’s a short walk or even just a stretch. Starting the morning with a workout is one of my favorite productivity tips (even when it’s hard to wake up that early) because, like making my bed, it has a domino effect!
My goal recently has been to get movement in before I start scrolling social media… I’ll keep y’all updated with how that goal goes, ha!
3. Wear an outfit you love
No more saving your favorite outfits for special occasions! Monday is enough reason to wear something you love. My personal go-tos are always the Colette pants from Anthropologie. So comfortable every time! Plus, you can dress them up for a more business professional office environment or go casual like I did.
4. Stock up on fresh flowers
I typically make grocery store runs on Sunday or Monday evenings to stock up for the week, and there’s nothing like grabbing a bouquet or two! Trader Joe’s is the best for inexpensive flowers, but I recently haven’t felt like driving allllll twenty minutes to go, so I stick with the options at Publix. They typically sell 3 bouquets for $12, so I just grab one or two and stretch it so I can have flowers in every room.
I feel like this is one of the most underrated productivity tips, because my brain won’t let me have something messy in view of my jars of flowers. So if I put a few mini bouquets throughout my apart, I find myself picking up clutter so I can really enjoy them!
5. Make plans to look forward to
I’ve found the best way to fight Sunday scaries to have something to look forward to, no matter how small! That way, instead of just dreading clocking into your 9-to-5 or thinking through your to-do list and the things you didn’t get done, you can replace some of that anxiety with excitement. I also like to ease into the week, so my exciting plans are still typically lower energy. Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Coffee plans with a friend or coworker
- A show you love (and it’s Monday so… I will be tuning in to Grant Ellis on The Bachelor, please and thank you)
- Making a recipe you love or grabbing takeout from a favorite spot
I hope you enjoy these Monday habits and productivity tips to incorporate in your day! I had so much fun writing this because it reminded me of those morning routine videos we were obsessed with in the 2010s. I love short form content as much as anyone but bring back a 15 minute video of a teenager making her bed, lighting a Bath & Body Works candle, going on a run and meal prepping all before school starts at 8AM!
And just a reminder that if you have Mondays that have only a few or none of these things, that’s okay! It’s all about the balance in finding the things that make your life better and learning how to incorporate them, even if it’s hard in the moment.
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