We all struggle with Monday blahs, when we can barely get out of bed, and then (once we do) grumble every step of the way until we reach the office in a foul mood. How do we shake off all that negativity and start the day eager to start work? Here are some tips.
I don’t need to tell you that this is just about attitude. We think we will have a bad day, we feel we will have a bad day, and therefore we will have a bad day. We have already set our mind to it, and our willpower will win. It always does.
But is your attitude serving you well? And if it’s not, why aren’t we opting for a more useful tool? Because moods are tools. And they are in our control.
We complain about waking up early in the morning. But let’s take another approach. Imagine you have an early morning flight for your European vacation. When the alarm goes off, you race through bathing, dressing, and eating breakfast. But this time, you are falling all over yourself in utter excitement and are in a rush to get to the airport. This is positive motivation.
What positive motivation can you use on a workday? Think of the ‘benefits’ that having a job to go gives you and your family. It enables you to send your children to school, put food on the table, and even take vacations. Now think of the exact opposite—how would life be if you lost your job?
Now structure your thoughts so that the images feed a good mood. Chances are when you think of a European vacation your mind is full of fun, positive images: meeting people, trying new things, visiting exotic places. And when you dread work you have negative images: fighting your boss, sitting through a bring meeting, wading through traffic.
Try filling your mind with positive images of the office. Imagine your office (however it may really be in actuality) in bright and vibrant colors, in designs that excite you (with floral wallpaper, for instance). Then add sounds that uplift you (like your favorite music, and people laughing and having fun). You will be surprised how your thoughts, imaginary as they may be, can have real influences on your emotions.
Use other sensory techniques too. Create different playlists that ‘pump you up’ as well as ‘relax and cool you down.’ Watch inspiring youtube videos like Steve Jobs speaking to the graduating class of Stanford.