Monday anxiety is normal, even among entrepreneurs, but it doesn’t have to suck. Implement these 12 tips for a stress free start to the week.

When was the last time you looked forward to Monday mornings with the same excitement you feel for Friday afternoons? It’s interesting to me that Mondays don’t rank favorably with anyone… Even in the entrepreneurship world – a space filled with people who chose their paths because they love what they’re doing so much – Mondays often still feel like a slog.

Here’s the thing: I love my business. I love it so much that, if I manage to wake up before my husband and kids on the weekend, I am excited to use that peace and quiet to work on some fun projects in my business. I love it so much that even when I’m on vacation, I’m thinking about my next idea or finding time to get away and work. And not because I feel like I “should” be working or am plagued with guilt when I’m not… but because I feel a genuine sense of fulfillment from being in and working on my business.

But even with the passion and enthusiasm I feel toward my business, Mondays can still feel hard.

In this article we’ll dig into why Mondays feel hard (even when you love your business), why that’s not necessarily a problem (but how to recognize if it is), and I’ll share some very practical tips for how you can make Mondays less miserable and create an easier transition into your work week, so that starting next Monday, you too can experience less stress and more ease in your business, which will allow you to create not just bigger results but build a sustainable version of success that actually feels good.

Whether your business is your happy place and you’re confused as to why you feel ‘bleh’ on Mondays, or you feel overwhelmed and burnt out and just want the secret to making Monday a little more manageable, this article is for you.

(And if you’re not a small business owner, don’t worry, all of the strategies can still apply to you and make a big reduction in your Monday anxiety!)

Why are Mondays so overwhelming?

I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say “I’m so excited for Monday!” In fact, there is a lot of data on the internet that points to Mondays being one of the most stressful days of the week for many people.

But why are Mondays so overwhelming? After all, Monday is no different from Thursday – it’s just another day of the week.

There are a few reasons most people are filled with Monday anxiety.

Disliking Your Work Causes Anxiety on Mondays

Let’s just get this one out of the way – if you hate what you do, Mondays are going to remind you of that every single week.

You can’t ignore that you are unfulfilled as easily as you could on the weekend, sipping your meticulously crafted green smoothie after yin-yoga, while pretending you’re in a Bali wellness retreat instead of your soulless, home gym. Come Monday, your office feels like a far cry from your sunrise meditation session, dragging you back to a reality where your bank balance is high but your work satisfaction is alarmingly low.

Monday’s like that alarm clock you can’t snooze — it’s relentless, it’s loud, and it’s there to tell you it’s time to face reality. If your life and business is out of alignment with your values, Mondays are always going to feel hard. These tips might help smooth out the rough edges, but you’ll still be left with the unsettling feeling of wearing shoes that are too small – sure, you can walk, maybe even run if you have to, but every step reminds you something isn’t quite right.

Related Post: How To Define Your Core Values

But what about when you don’t hate the work you do? After all, most entrepreneurs got into business because they love the work they do or the mission they’re on. Why are Mondays so hard then?

The Pressure to be Productive on Mondays Causes Stress

When you love what you do, you want to do a lot of things and you want it done all at once.

Most high achievers see Mondays as that first day of the week where you can really make a lot of momentum on your projects. (It’s almost like we’re trying to “make up” for all that relaxing that happened on the weekend. 😂)

If you set unrealistically high expectations around how much you can accomplish, you’re self-inflicting a heightened level of stress.

I know that when I sit down at my laptop early on a Saturday morning before the kids wake up, I don’t even have a to-do list. Anything I accomplish feels like a win because I have literally zero expectations – I’m not even ‘supposed to’ be working!

On Mondays, you might feel the weight of the world on your shoulders if you’re pinning the success of your company on how productive you are that first day of the week.

So, what can we do about Monday anxiety to make that first day of the week less miserable and more enjoyable as entrepreneurs?

If you aren’t sure where you need to focus in your business for the upcoming year take our personalized quiz here!

12 Tips to Beat Monday Anxiety And Make Mondays Less Miserable

Here are 12 things that have helped me personally shift Mondays from mediocre to more enjoyable in my own entrepreneurship journey, as well as the strategies that have resonated most with my private coaching clients. I hope you pick one of these to start applying immediately so that you can experience more ease and flow in your own business.

Allow Yourself Extra Time to Adjust on Mondays

Mondays don’t have to start with a sprint. You do not actually need to be at your desk by 8am. (Don’t forget that you get to set your own schedule – that was kinda the whole selling point of this entrepreneurship thing!)

Give yourself permission to ease into your week. Maybe that means starting at 8:30am instead of 8:00 sharp, and using that extra time to do the little things that bring you joy: read a few pages of your favorite book, listen to an inspiring podcast, or treat yourself to a nice breakfast without rushing.

Giving yourself permission to slow it down on Mondays can help take the pressure off, provide a healthy level of detachment from your to-do list, and allow you to get into your creative energy before you open your inbox.

I’m always amazed by how much better I feel when I give myself permission to “not work” right away. Even 30 extra minutes adds a certain lightness to the day and reduces Monday anxiety.

Cultivate A Morning Routine You Actually Look Forward To On Mondays

Let’s be honest, dragging yourself out of bed on Monday can feel like a Herculean task. It can be challenging to get back into a routine after the carefree vibes of the weekend… but what if you had a morning routine that you looked forward to?

What if, on Mondays, you did something that got you excited to get out of bed? And, if you follow the tip above and give yourself extra time on Mondays, you could create a part of that routine that is sacred to Mondays and doesn’t happen any other day of the week (making it all that much more special!)

For example, although I typically kick off my morning routine with a 30 min strength training workout, on Mondays I specifically do not. Instead, I lounge about on my yoga mat in my pajamas, because that’s the kind of thing that feels doable on a Monday. Then I proceed to journaling, and reading a motivational personal growth or business book while drinking my favorite latte. Once my body, mind, and soul are satisfied, I dive into my business.

What’s your morning routine? And how can you make it so good that missing it feels like skipping dessert?

If you haven’t created the perfect morning routine to make your day, check out this blog post for exactly how to do just that.

Plan Something Special To Distinguish Mondays

Isn’t it funny that we’ll plan the fun get together with friends for Friday night, or the special brunch for Sunday, but Monday never-ever gets a special activity to look forward to?

If you never have anything great to look forward to on Mondays, why would you ever look forward to Mondays?

It’s time to do something special to celebrate Mondays. Whether that’s the day you upgrade your usual brew to a latte, or start a new tradition with your spouse, don’t let Fridays be the only day that something exciting happens. (Fridays are already fun enough, even if you literally do nothing special! 😂)

Get Outside

Kicking off your week by sitting down at your desk can start to feel boring after the thousandth time… If you feel that your mindset is particularly challenged on Mondays – you can’t be bothered to give a F about the things that need to get done that day, and everything feels like it’s going to fall apart – get outside.

I have the “luxury” of having to take my kids to the school bus stop each morning. Instead of making a prompt U-turn for the house after I wave them off, I take the long way back because that time spent walking in the fresh air helps ground me.

So, next time you feel stressed or unmotivated: try a walk in the park (or just around the block).

Moving your body and getting fresh air can give you the energy you need to tackle the day faster than a double-espresso.

Don’t Make It A Problem

Feeling Monday anxiety doesn’t mean your entire business is falling apart and you’ve lost your purpose. It’s okay not to be a constant ball of enthusiasm.

Instead of trying to solve for the fact that you aren’t feeling excited and motivated, give yourself permission to take action even though you feel just meh.

Start small, and before you know it, you’ll be back in your groove.

Action is the best antidote to inertia.

Have A Clear Plan

I don’t know about you but I find it hard to remind myself who I am, what I’m doing, and wtf I need to focus on to make it happen, every week.

If I don’t have a clear plan, I feel like I need to figure my entire life out from scratch every time. (Which literally leads to me journaling for 4 hours only to come back to the exact same answer I had already decided last time I did this.) 😂

The simplest solution? Decide on Friday what next week’s focus will be.

This way you can just show up to Monday, know exactly what needs your attention, and get it done. That momentum will help create more motivation and you’ll successfully avoid the mindless scrolling through emails that tends to occur when you don’t have a clear plan for what to do.

Kick Off With A Project Or Task You Enjoy

Don’t make the Monday anxiety worse by starting the day with your email inbox…

Start your week with something that lights you up. Whether it’s designing a new product or brainstorming marketing strategies with sticky notes or carving out time to write content, start recognizing the types of tasks that get you excited over the course of the week, and plan more of those things for Mondays!

For the longest time, I thought that having nothing to do on a Monday was the ultimate version of success and happiness. But it turns out I actually found it very hard to get started when my calendar was wide open.

The thing that did give me a lot of energy was coaching my clients. I find it easy to show up for my private 1:1 coaching calls with them, and that connection coupled with the impact I’m making leaves me feeling inspired and energized.

As soon as I reintroduced client calls on Monday mornings, I was able to accomplish more that day and the rest of the week because my headspace was in the right place.

When kicking off Monday morning, choose a task that feels more like play than work. It will help you not only beat Monday anxiety and get things done in your business, but also feel good doing them.

Reconnect With Your Vision

Monday anxiety rears its ugly head when the to do list looms large. But Mondays aren’t just Mondays, they’re an opportunity to move toward your ultimate vision for your business.

Sometimes, in the grind of all that goes into building and growing a business, we get stuck in the to-do list mentality, and lose sight of what we’re actually working toward.

A great way to get inspired on Mondays is to reconnect with your vision for your business. Whether you have it written down in a journal or visualized on your business vision board, take 5 minutes while you sip your coffee to get back into the energy you felt when you created that vision. Remember why you’re doing all this work. And let it pull you forward.

Connect With Another Human

Sometimes Mondays are hard because you’re sitting in your little home office, all alone, and having to deal with the critical voice inside your head asking you ‘Who do you think you are, trying to compete with the big leagues?’ or ‘Sure, that idea sounds great, but what if you fail spectacularly and become the laughing stock of LinkedIn?’ It’s like having an unsolicited business partner who majored in Doubt and minored in Pessimism, constantly questioning your every move and making you wonder if you accidentally left your confidence in your other pants.

So, instead of hanging out with your inner critic, connect with another human being instead. Schedule a weekly kick off meeting with your virtual assistant to help you get into high gear, or meet up with a fellow business buddy over coffee. A dose of human interaction can be incredibly uplifting and meaningful conversations just might spark your next big business idea.

Let’s disrupt the idea that Mondays are meant to be spent alone in your office feeling anxious about all that needs to get done, and treat them with more lightness.

Work From A New Location

I dream of being that chic entrepreneur effortlessly typing away in a bustling café, latte art and all. Yet, the mere buzz of my fridge sends me into a spiral… 😂 So I’ve found my happy place at a picnic table by the lake, where I frequently go to switch up my Monday morning routine.

If the mere sight of your home office sends you diving under the duvet with dread, consider shaking things up on Mondays. Venture to a café, snuggle into that unused nook in your home, or embrace the great outdoors.

A new environment can stimulate your creativity and give you a fresh perspective, and it makes Mondays special by having something new that you look forward to.

Get A Surplus of Sleep

It is really hard, if not downright impossible, to feel motivated if you’re exhausted.

And yet, out of our desire to avoid having to deal with Mondays, most people end up going to bed way too late on Sunday night, inadvertently exacerbating the problems they feel on Monday mornings.

Getting more than enough sleep is the foundation of a productive week. So, ask yourself, what does your Sunday routine need to look like in order to set you up for success on a Monday?

I make it a non negotiable to get 10 full hours of sleep on Sunday night, and believe me, everything is better on Monday morning as a result of that decision.

Pretend It’s Not Monday

What if you approached Monday with the mindset that you don’t have to do anything?

(After all, you truly don’t, you get to do everything you chose to put on your plate).

Sometimes, when all else fails, I literally pretend it’s not Monday. I pretend I don’t have to work today. And then I ask myself “what would I do if I didn’t have to work today?”

And, surprise surprise, because I love what I do, the answer is usually almost exactly what I had on my to-do list: write content about this, talk to a client about that, learn this new strategy, etc.

The mental shift of pretending it’s a bonus day where you choose to work because you love it, not because you must can transform your day from a dreaded obligation to reconnection for why you started your business in the first place.

It can be easy to fall into the 9 to 5 grind, even as an entrepreneur! If you find yourself not wanting to deal with your business on Mondays, these 12 tips for reducing Monday anxiety will help you get back into your groove sooner so that you can grow your business faster and have a more peaceful and enjoyable time doing so.

I’d love to know, which one of these tips will you apply to your business this week?

And if you’re an entrepreneur who’s ready to scale to the next level while freeing up the time and energy to live a fulfilling life, book a discovery call to find out exactly how working with me as your 1:1 business coach can help you build a business without burnout.

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