Chasing Away the Monday Blues

A workweek has its highs and lows. From the euphoria of a Friday ending the workweek to the inevitable Monday blues after a weekend are part and parcel of work life. According to a Monster study, 76 percent of Americans suffer from Sunday night blues, a large part of which is undoubtedly about the coming workday—Monday. Monday blues have become so much a part of our lexicon that people have stopped noticing the actual effect it has on the work environment.

Monday blues can affect your productivity. It takes some people a lot of time to get in work mode. Also, this feeling of procrastination and general laziness can be contagious, affecting your whole team.

According to a Monster study, 76 percent of Americans suffer from Sunday night blues, a large part of which is undoubtedly about the coming workday—Monday. Monday blues have become so much a part of our lexicon that people have stopped noticing the actual effect it has on the work environment.

“We know from countless studies in psychology and neurology that your current emotional state has a huge effect on the quality of your work and when you’re feeling blue you are less productive, less motivated, more pessimistic, less creative, less engaged and learn more slowly–just to mention a few effects,” Alexander Kjerulf, an international author and speaker on happiness at work says.

The HR Digest has a few suggestions to turn the office Monday blues to daffodil yellows.

Plan ahead: Before expecting someone else to take up the mantle of keeping you in a sunny mood, try to start your day on a positive note. Dress for the part. Pick up your brightest clothes or a new outfit to uplift the mood. Plan ahead for the day.

Keep calm & carry on: In a bid to put off the inevitable Monday office day, people tend to leave all preparation last minute. The day starts as a frantic rush to find the misplaced office bag, file, office identity badge, and whatnot. A serene start to the week will go a long way in improving the mood.

Meet and greet: At the workplace, those in charge or the HR can adopt a Monday ritual of “meet and greet”. A sort of pick-me-up where people can discuss the agenda for the week. Insist on keeping it informal where people are eager to exchange information about their time-off, trade pleasantries, and then sign off with what has been done and needs to be done or tackled.

Fun engagement activities: Have a Monday challenge day with a jumbo crossword on a wall. Set fun prizes for getting the first word, finishing the crossword, etc. This is a fun way to get people to have a good laugh and generally have a participatory activity.

Mindful Monday activities: Set aside a room in the office for mindful activities. Let it be known that it is ok to take time off, if needed, to rejuvenate from a hectic weekend or a late start or just general ennui. The room can have a massage chair, a yoga mat, activity games, coloring book,— a space to space out without being bothered.

Team activities on Monday: Keep Mondays for team activities like lunch, or a walkabout or ice cream or soda break. Keep the day light on work so that people come to office feeling they have a handle on the workday and are not rushed to play catch up.

Monday get-together: Another way is to have a Monday get-together. At the end of the workday, the team or whole office can gather to carry out an activity or hobby decided by one person. Everyone has to participate. It can be knitting day, craft making, kite making, or even dancing, chorus singing; the opportunities are diverse depending on peoples’ interests.

Making Mondays exciting, mindful, fun, and engaging is an excellent way to chase the bad mood off and is a good incentive for people to look forward to coming to the office after a break.

The post Chasing Away the Monday Blues appeared first on The HR Digest.

Source: New feed