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It's
Monday Morning Again!
As the weekend draws to
a close, the thought of getting up for work
on a Monday morning appears to fill some
of us with dread more than others.
Is Monday a doomsday?
Does your 7 o'clock alarm hit you like a
jolt? Does the thought of Monday morning
make you feel depressed?
Some time or the
other you must have felt like this
and many a times wondered "why
am I feeling like this after a week
end?" The answer is simple. You
are suffering from Monday morning
blues.
Having Monday morning
blues does not just mean that you
don't want to go back to work. There
is a scientific basis for your Monday
morning blues: your sleeping pattern
is out of synch with your internal
biological clock.
According
to a recent research, it was found
that your mood is affected not necessarily
by the amount of sleep you get, but
whether your sleep is "in tune"
with your biological clock
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Some of the
effects of Monday morning blues
are:
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Inability to concentrate or
focus on work.
•
Having a weekend hang over.
•
Lack of motivation to work
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Feeling stressed out after a
weekend.
•
Being moody or irritable with
co-workers.
•
Being late for work in the morning.
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Your biological clock
is actually a small area in your brain on
each side of the hypothalamus called the
suprachiasmatic nuclei. This "clock"
tells you when you feel awake or sleepy.
It's reset by your exposure to light, both
natural and artificial. For example, if
you habitually sleep from midnight to eight
and have relatively the same amount of exposure
to light during the week, your clock is
synchronized with your lifestyle. .
But, when you stay up
until three in the morning over the weekend,
you expose yourself to more light at night
and less bright light the next day, altering
both your sleep pattern and your exposure
to light. So even if you've had enough sleep,
your clock is telling you, on a Monday morning,
that you should be sleeping.
If you're just looking
to make those Monday mornings tolerable,
there's hope for you. Expose yourself to
bright light in the morning to tell your
clock that it's time to be awake rather
than asleep.
Another research shows
that when your body is active and healthy,
the good effects can be felt emotionally.
Your mood lifts noticeably, triggering positive
emotions and promoting a general feeling
of well-being. And though a weekend break
might not appear as tempting as a self-indulgent
pampering in a resort or a spa, a trip or
any leisure activity that boosts your activity
level will lift your spirits and leave you
invigorated and refreshed mentally as well
as physically.
The impact of Monday
morning blues can be devastating. These
effects could cause serious problems at
work and bring down one's performance.
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Tips for handling
Monday morning blues.
1. Start getting organised on Friday.
Try really hard to clear your desk.
If you haven't been able to do it
on a Friday, it's worth going in on
Monday before anyone else arrives.
2. It's also worth
drawing up a to-do list on a Friday.
Then when you get into work on a Monday
hit the ground running by doing one
or two things on that list in the
first hour.
3.
If you are a party animal, schedule
your parties for Saturday evenings.
4. Planning your
weekend to some extent will help you
to swing back to work smoothly on
a Monday morning.
5. Try not to have
a hectic weekend.
6. Organize your
time well on Sunday. Have an early
night on a Sunday. A late night will
sap your energy for a whole week.
And before you go to bed prepare yourself
for the next day like ironing your
clothes and packing your bag or brief
case with whatever you will need for
work the next day.
7. Try and make
sure you don't have a late night on
a Sunday, so that you have enough
rest to conserve your energy for the
next five days.
8. Ensure you have
a balanced Sunday with enough leisure
time activities and preparing yourself
for the week ahead.
9. Going for a
brisk walk or exercising on Monday
morning could give your week a good
start.
10. Organize your
time well to reach work on time.
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So figure out what
will help you beat the blues and stick to
it.
If you have problems
handling your Monday morning blues or organizing
and managing your leisure time during the
weekend, do seek help through our counselling
services.
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