Feeling motivated, first thing on a Monday morning can be hard. No matter how much coffee we drink or how bright the sun is, the start of a new week can be daunting. But Mondays CAN be motivating! We have curated a list of five fantastic ways to fuel energy levels and kickstart your Monday with the same kind of excitement we all have on a Friday afternoon.
1. Music
Whether you enjoy a relaxed ambience, a classic 90s tune or a heavy bass warm up, music is medicine for the soul! In fact, according to a study conducted in 2014 by Frontiers Aging Neuroscience, music is seen to increase our productivity levels and cognitive performance which affects our everyday routines.
Music therapy is incredibly influential to our emotional wellbeing too. This concept is called the ‘Iso Principle’ in which therapists use music to influence the mood of their patients by matching the music to align with their mood. Some people may prefer peaceful meditative vibrations, and others may need something with a little more pump. Whatever it is, music has a profound effect on our performance, and it can be the differentiating factor between a good day or a bad day.
2. Catch-ups
After a whirlwind weekend for some, or a quiet one for others, it can be hard to get into the swing of things on a Monday morning. How about a morning catch-up? Whether virtually or in the office, chatting with colleagues is an important experience for human interaction.
Ease into the week with a warm brew while sharing stories of your Saturday night escapades. Getting to know your colleagues and how they work benefits the whole company in the long term, because it allows you to explore each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It builds trust with your team and creates an inviting work culture that everyone will benefit from, thus diffusing built-up tension that may arise. This creates a sense of unity and team-building skills that seep into the routine of the working day, making us more efficient and engaged with the people around us.
3. Take a break
Taking a short break every so often increases our productivity levels in the long term. Experts call this a ‘microbreak’ because it lasts up to anything from two or twenty minutes. This could include making a cup of tea or stretching out with a bit of at-desk yoga.
Despite the breaks being much shorter than the average lunch hour, they have a phenomenal effect on our mental wellness. Studies from the Journal of Environmental Psychology suggests that they greatly improve the ability to concentrate on specific tasks, get our bodies moving (which may help avoid injuries that are often tied to our desks), but more importantly, it positively influences the way we view our jobs.
4. Be present
Despite the belief that Mondays are notoriously slow, it is also our most productive day in the week. According to data taken from Priceonomics we typically complete most of our tasks (20.4%) on a Monday, and 9.7% are completed by 11 am. Of course, after lunch time our productivity levels drop, and then completely crash after 4pm. It’s no surprise that people often tend to dwindle out of the office and prefer to work from home on Thursdays and Fridays, the latter being the least productive day in the week.
Magic happens in the office when creative minds come together, and it is important to the success of all businesses. Which is why being present on Mondays is crucial as collaborating with colleagues increases morale, creates a supportive environment, helps solve problems, and fuels new ideas. Additionally, it ensures that colleagues are all on the same page, giving people the opportunity to ease into the week comfortably.
5. Treat yourself
It might be hard to tackle the work week first thing on a Monday morning, so why not do it with a little dopamine? Dopamine is crucial to our motor control functions, motivation and reward system. It’s a chemical created in our bodies and used by our nervous system to send messages between nerve cells which affects how we feel pleasure. This is why dopamine propels us into action to obtain a reward, and sometimes it is as simple as promising yourself a sweet treat if you complete your tasks before lunch time.
Human Resource professionals understand how powerful this affect is and have done well to implement regular perks and rewards in the form of free samples, vouchers and benefits to increase workforce productivity and improve emotional wellbeing. And the best thing of all? It’s completely free!
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