OMG! It's Monday already.

Generally speaking, I like Mondays. It’s the beginning of a brand new week; a fresh start full of hope and promise. Monday’s are a blank slate filled with possibilities. Generally speaking. But this Monday is different. Perhaps it’s because I spent most of the weekend outside, enjoying the majesty of autumn and now I’m back on the lily pad trying to concentrate on work. To add insult to injury, the weather today, here in Land of Lily Pad, is awful. It’s cool and raining very, very hard. If truth be told, I’d much rather crawl back into bed and go to sleep.
But, in typical Irwin fashion, instead of crashing and letting the day get the better of me, I decided to “hop” online and do a little research, looking for ways to lift myself out of my Monday funk and get me back to my usual chipper self.
Science show that more heart attacks happen on Monday than any other day of the week. And we weigh our heaviest on Mondays…probably due to all the extra food and beverage we consume on the weekends. Too, our sleep patterns get thrown off. We tend to stay up later on Friday and Saturday nights and sleep in later in the mornings. This can lead us to feel unhappy. Since humans, and frogs alike, tend be our happiest on the weekends it follows, then, that on Monday we would feel the least happy…if only by comparison.
So how do the experts say we can counteract the dreaded Monday Blues? Here are the top 10 ways to make Monday a great day!

1. Get enough sleep. This means going to bed a little earlier than normal. Don’t stay up later, thinking that it will help make the weekend last longer. It may, but on Monday morning you’ll feel even worse.
2. Meditate, or sit in silence, every morning and center yourself, You’ll be surprised at how much brighter the world will look.
3. Allow more time…for everything. Rushing around and sitting in traffic when you’re already running late, will do very little to improve your mood. Give yourself extra time. You’ll be glad you did.
4. Eat a balanced breakfast. Your body needs fuel to function well so remember to eat nourishing foods. Grabbing a sugar donut and an extra cup pf coffee may taste good, but it won’t make your body run at its peak. And you'll be even more sluggish after the sugar-high wears off.
5. Rethink your commute. If you drive to work, or school, the shortest way possible it’s very likely that everyone else is doing the exact same thing. Try going a longer, less crowded route. Use the extra time to listen to your favorite tunes, books on tape, or an interesting podcast.
6. Plan your day. I find it helpful to organize myself on Mondays. It helps me to accomplish more and sets me on a clear path for the entire day, as well as the rest of the week. If I don’t organize myself, I find it easy to get off-track and that can lead to feelings of frustration and the sense that I’m “spinning my wheels.”
7. Clear the clutter. Every Friday afternoon, before I finish up my official work week, I like to spend a little time clearing up my desk. Sitting down to work on Monday with a nice clean desk and workspace, makes me feel good about starting a new project…or finishing up one that I’ve already begun. Adding a vase of fresh flowers, on Monday, can certainly make the day more appealing, as well.
8. Be positive. If you keep telling yourself you hate Mondays and always get the blues, you will create a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think about the great things you can do with your day and the new week ahead, you’ll feel happier and more uplifted.
9. Schedule and exercise. Yep. Every day is a good day to get exercise, but Mondays are especially important. Why? When we get our blood pumping and get moving, it boosts our serotonin levels, making us feel better, happier and, thus, we become more productive.
10. Count your blessings. Use gratitude to lift yourself out of the doldrums. There’s never a bad time to be grateful for all you have. And Monday is no exception.

I hope these tips will help you feel cheerier. I know I feel better already…just from doing a little of what makes me happy; writing and sharing interesting stuff with you, the reader.
​                           Enjoy your week. I know it’s going to be a great one!