Why are we so tired and out of it on Monday? Is it a myth or is there a real reason why we’re so blue on Mondays?
Well, there’s actually a scientific explanation for your horrible case of Monday morning blues. Our internal clocks naturally operate on a day that is longer than 24 hours. By the time Monday rolls around each week, we’ve built up a sleep deficit of at least an hour. You’ll also feel worse on Monday if you were sleeping on a different schedule and getting up later and I think this is because your body already gets used to waking up later. The thought of work and leaving your comfy bed doesn’t really help too much either.
Overcome the Morning Blues
- If possible try to sleep and extra half hour to an hour on Monday mornings. Going to bed early Sunday night doesn’t always help unless you fall asleep right away.
- Unfortunately, for most of us, it isn’t practical to sleep in for an hour with our morning schedules. What does help you get a little more sleep time in is prepping the night before so you can set your alarm a little later than usual. Get your outfit out, pack your lunch, pack your briefcase or get your laptop ready for the next day and it will make a big difference.
- I know it’s hard, but try to spring right out of bed so you don’t have to dwell on the fact that you need to leave your comfortable bed to go to work.
- Take a hot shower to help circulate your body and maybe even throw on a jolt of cold water at the end to wake you up even more. Exercise is always great way to wake you up and get your blood flowing, however a lot of us don’t want to wake up earlier because it’s so difficult.
- This is one I couldn’t do without. Grab a cup of coffee or another caffeine beverage. When used in moderation it can help jump start your mornings so you can be more productive.
- Keep yourself as busy as possible at work instead of thinking about your morning blues. Your day will go by a lot faster so you can get home and relax. Sometimes some motivational quotes or taking a peek at the morning news help me stay focused.
Do you have the Monday Morning Blues? What works for you?