Mondays can be brutal – I think we can all agree, no? Even if you like Mondays, the transition from the weekend, relaxing or busy, can be jarring on Monday morning when your alarm goes off. Instead of hitting snooze, here’s a few ideas to help get you out of bed and get moving!
- Good Music : One of my favorite ways to start out Monday is with music. In fact I have my iPhone alarm set to go off with music. I change the song periodically, but one of my favorite high energy starters is JohnnySwim’s Diamonds . It has a great guitar start that gets your blood pumping and it’s a little hard to go back to sleep after that! I’m a Spotify subscriber (Student Discounts Available!) and have several favorite playlists I play throughout the day, but especially to start off the morning too. I’ve listed a couple of my favorites below
- Coffee House Chill is my favorite to play in the early morning or when I’m working on a project.
- WORKOUT Don’t discount the power of a good workout playlist to pump up your workday – it’s not just when your running shoes are on!
- Empires Tour Official Playlist If you’re active on Spotify you may have seen this, but I love this one because it’s a random mix of mellow and more upbeat music.
- Matcha Green Tea : I have to qualify this – you have to give Matcha some time to grow on you and figure out if you like it.That being said, matcha is a superfood, and is made of crushing the actual leaves of green tea plants into a powder. Because of the process and also the concentration of the green tea plant in it, matcha has many health benefits including helping to fight off cancer, boost metabolism and energy levels and the antioxidants in it also help increase immune system overall health. IT’S AMAZING LADIES! You definitely want to check this guy out. It does have caffeine, but because of the type of concentration of the tea leaves and the amount of caffeine, there is no crash with matcha – I like to have it in the morning around 10ish and it helps improve my focus through lunch and the afternoon. The best way to drink it is in an iced matcha latte form.
- Protein : Start your day out with a good source of protein. I’ll be honest, sometimes this means a protein bar or shake of some sort for me because I’m too tired, too busy or just not in the mood to actually make breakfast. While it’s better for your system to actually digest a real meal of whole foods in the morning it doesn’t hurt to occasionally just grab something quick either. Eggs, Greek yogurt, Avacado Toast, Smoothie Bowls and Green Smoothies (with added protein powders and/or grains) are good sources of protein that will last you throughout the day.
- Snacks : This sort of goes without saying, but hey! FOOD HELPS! I always like to have an extra protein bar (low sugar, high protein), raw almonds and some sort of dark chocolate (70% or above) in my bag so that if I need a pick-me-up I have it and I won’t be tempted to go running to the snack bar or closest convenience store for a non-healthy, non-focus-improving alternative. Planning ahead is key to not only an efficient day, but a healthier life too!
- Fresh Air : My office has recently switched to an open office environment (an introvert/ambiverts nightmare) and it’s actually a large source of personal anxiety for many of us. The way I’ve found to combat this, or any sort of fatigue is to take a short, brisk walk outside. I work in a business park so I can either opt to take a quick walk around my building (about 5 minutes) or to walk around the complex itself and make it a longer walk. The best thing about this is that I can take some solitary time or use a few minutes to text, leave a voice mail or make a quick phone call to a friend or family member and not only brighten their day but also make a personal connection which can be mood boosting too! Win-win, right?
Ultimately, your attitude is a choice. Mondays can be pleasant or they can be miserable – the choice is always yours.
What choice will you make?
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