LIVING A LIFE WHERE MONDAYS DON'T SUCK ANYMORE

If you dread Mondays then maybe it's time to be brave and make some life changes. It's time to wake up on Monday morning with a smile instead of a grimace. #Mondays

THOSE BAD OLD MONDAYS

Have you noticed there's a world of memes out there that all relate to how awful Mondays are because they're the beginning of another working week? I had a bit of spare time to go surfing around all the Monday memes and came up with a few that reflect what it feels like for a lot of us to be heading into work on a Monday when we're in jobs that suck the joy out of our lives.


If you dread Mondays then maybe it's time to be brave and make some life changes. It's time to wake up on Monday morning with a smile instead of a grimace. #Mondays

I'm sure there are people who love their jobs and don't relate to this at all, but memes don't become memes unless there's a LOT of people out there that they apply to, so I'm thinking I'm not the only person who'd see one of these pop up on their Facebook feed and think - yep, Monday.....here we go again!

WASTING SUNDAYS BY DREADING MONDAYS

I also wasted a lot of my Sunday afternoons and evenings trying not to think about it being the end of a lovely weekend and that I had work the next day. I'd tell myself not to let thoughts of work filter into my Sundays, but it was almost impossible when the dreaded Monday morning was looming and who knows what it held in store.

If you dread Mondays then maybe it's time to be brave and make some life changes. It's time to wake up on Monday morning with a smile instead of a grimace. #Mondays

No matter how much I'd tell myself that it might be different this week, and that Monday might not suck, I knew I was kidding myself and all those little thoughts and coping mechanisms would rise up and haunt me in the lead up to another working week. These memes were just a handful that showed I wasn't alone in my Sunday dread parties either.

NO MORE TGIF's

Then there's the other end of the meme spectrum - the "Thank God it's Friday" collection. Where everyone has staggered their way through the working week, finally arrived at Friday and the end of another long and tedious work week - and the anticipation of the onset of a weekend escape from it all sets in.

If you dread Mondays then maybe it's time to be brave and make some life changes. It's time to wake up on Monday morning with a smile instead of a grimace. #Mondays

I still remember walking out the door at the end of my work day (mine wasn't a Friday but it felt like one) and wanting to jump and punch my fists into the air and yell "Oh What a Feeling!" like the Toyota ads of days gone by. I compromised by getting into my car, shutting the door and shouting "YES!!!" before driving off and back into my life. 



LIVING A LIFE OF LOVELY MONDAYS

Now I wonder how I did it for so many years, how I got up each Monday morning when my alarm went off and took myself off for another "rinse and repeat" work week. I know the pay packet was a driving factor, I also had some really fun times with workmates in various jobs that I held, it wasn't all bad! But four decades of doing the Monday to Friday tango certainly wore me down and it's an amazing relief to not be doing that anymore.

My Mondays are delightful now - they're not the first day of the working week, they're just one of many days of doing what I like when I like. They signal the beginning of yet another week of living life on my own terms and not jumping through the hoops of others. Just the sheer joy of not dealing with difficult people makes my Mondays lovely.

If you dread Mondays then maybe it's time to be brave and make some life changes. It's time to wake up on Monday morning with a smile instead of a grimace.

IF IT'S NOT WORKING BE BRAVE AND CHANGE THINGS

I tried my darndest to make my "perfect job" work - I tried to discuss how things were not as they should be, I tried reducing my working hours, I tried ignoring the bad behaviour, and so many other tactics. If things had been less toxic I may have even succeeded and ended up not dreading Mondays, but that wasn't the case. I pushed through because there were a lot of things I loved about that job, but ultimately it was killing my soul and I needed to make bigger changes.

When I finally admitted that I'd had enough and chose to leave, I was sure I'd jump back into the job market again, but the thought of doing Mondays again just left me cold. The right change for me was to walk away completely and reclaim my Mondays (and the rest of the week). I now wake with a sense of peace and anticipation at the beginning of each week - it's like the sun has come out from behind the clouds. Being brave for me was to pull the pin and leave - that might be a bit extreme for other people, but one thing I know for sure is that my Mondays don't suck anymore!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

How does your week look? Do you leap out of bed on a Monday and look forward to what the days ahead hold? Or do your Mondays suck? I hope you wake up at the beginning of each week with a spring in your step, and if not - that you're brave enough to make some changes.

RELATED POSTS



If you dread Mondays then maybe it's time to be brave and make some life changes. It's time to wake up on Monday morning with a smile instead of a grimace. #Mondays
If you dread Mondays then maybe it's time to be brave and make some life changes. It's time to wake up on Monday morning with a smile instead of a grimace. #Mondays

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42 comments

  1. Mondays don't suck, as such, only because they used to suck a lot more. I don't dread it on Sunday nights like I used to, so I guess that's a fabulous thing, right?

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    1. It's definitely a step in the right direction Jo. I find myself out walking on a Monday morning and thinking "this time last year I was......" It makes the morning even brighter knowing that I'm not under that raincloud of work any more!

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  2. Hi, Leanne - Joyfully, I often am not sure what day or date it actually is until I look at my calendar. I absolutely love that everyday is now Saturday!!

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    1. Me too Donna! I love having to stop and think what day of the week it is. I have to try to keep track so I don't miss a coffee date but other than that it's all just a lovely blur!

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    2. Hi, Leanne - I definitely double-check that I don't miss a coffee date. But I must admit, the blur is wonderful! #MLSTL

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    3. I actually missed one once in my retirement haze - so now I write them in two places as a double up - I hate missing dates!

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  3. Mondays were never a thing with me because when you are a staff nurse in a hospital and work every other weekend, Mondays are not really the start of the work week . However, for me, every day or I should say night because I worked 11pm - 7am was like the Monday you describe! I am now retired and loving it!! The stress is gone and I feel so much better both physically and mentally!! Great post!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

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    1. Hi Debbie - that's what my part-time work felt like with Fridays - they came earlier because I didn't work a full week, but they seemed a long way off when the working week loomed in front of me and I never knew what situation I'd be facing. The drop in physical and mental stress has been an absolute joy for me too. x

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  4. Hi Leanne, the memes did make me smile, especially Steve Carell. I do recall the Wasted Sundays feeling. And I worked in a generally good environment. Yet, many sleepless nights on the 1% toxic aka “difficult people.”

    Your phrase “jumping through the hoops of others” resonated with me. I had a life changing, stressful incident (too long a story for here) where I asked myself, “Whose life am I leading? Mine or theirs?” A new chapter of my life after that period in time.

    I am glad you pulled the pin, Leanne. Aside from your own mental and physical health, you are now impacting the health of many more people when you share your stories. xx

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    1. Hi Erica - I've had a few readers who've left me messages on Facebook or emailed me to say that they've pulled the pin on their toxic jobs or been inspired to do so, and that makes me really happy. Wasting all that mental and emotional energy on the 1% of our lives that intersect with toxicity is something none of us should have to do. I love how much more pleasant my life is without the constant stress I used to be under.

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  5. Hi Leanne, I'm with you and all these memes are perfect! Thanks for the Monday smiles #lifethisweek

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    1. Hi Deb - I had a lot of fun compiling them and they all made me smile because they don't apply to me anymore and that makes my life even better!

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    2. I know what you mean! Back for #mlstl and have pinned your post to my group board.

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    3. Thanks Deb - very much appreciated x

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  6. After years of working from home I had to get a 'proper' job, and found myself starting a new career at the age of 58. And I wondered how I would feel about Mondays. I needn't have worried - the place I work operates 7 days a week, weekends are no different to mid-week, and I'm as likely to have a Monday off as any other day!

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    1. Well I guess that's another way of looking at Mondays not being the beginning of another week of nose to the grindstone! I hope the new job is turning out to be something you can enjoy for the next decade or so - that will help make those workdays more pleasant too.

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  7. Hi Leanne, I am returning from #MLSTL. I have shared on SM. A great post, as always! xx

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    1. Thanks so much Erica - I really appreciate you sharing this for me x

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  8. Mondays are usually my supermarked and cooking day so I really hate mondays...ha!

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    1. I try to swap my shopping days around a bit because I totally get the whole queueing up at the checkout thing being a bit of a joy suck on a Monday!

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  9. Hi Leanne, Every morning a new day begins and I greet it with a smile. Joyfully, I rely on my calendar to know what day it is... only for something important. #MLSTL

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    1. That's my life too now Natalie - and I just love it. Not being tied to the idea that a particular day is looming (and I need to gird my loins to face it) is an absolute joy for me.

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  10. Hi Leanne At the moment I’m happy to head off to work. I’ve said many times when that is no longer the case I will retire. I’m starting to feel a slight shift but not sure if that may be due to the injury. Putting off any decision until it’s healed #MLSTL Sharing

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    1. Hi Jennifer - I'm always a little envious of people who love their job enough to go in on a Monday with anticipation - that was never the case for me - and certainly not in the last couple of years of work! Enjoy it until it ceases to be a pleasure - then it might be time to re-evaluate.

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  11. I have been truly fortunate. I have chosen careers that I loved. My employment background is very eclectic, and I shifted gears when I felt like it. I have been many things which I describe on my website "About Me" page in detail. Hope you'll check it out at nancyandreswriter at gmail dot com. Thanks for the visit from #MLSTL. Have a beautiful evening and be well.

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    1. Hi Nancy - I'm going to pop over and have a read of your About Page - I've had quite a variety of jobs too - many that I quite enjoyed, but none that I could honestly say that I loved..... and none that beat what I have now in retirement!

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  12. I am not yet ready to retire, however would not mind cutting back to three days a week to get that elusive work/life balance happening. Luckily with my new job I am not at the stage of disliking Monday mornings!

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    1. I cut back to three days a week and that made a huge difference to being able to continue working without dreading the week ahead. It allowed me to have a life that was fuller and more balanced. I think ending up in a toxic workplace was the final nail in the coffin for Mondays for me - never knowing what was in store for me each week and how awful it may or may not be just did my head in.

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  13. I too used to suffer from the Monday blues in life in a corporate, Leanne. Now Mondays are something to look forward to after a lazy Sunday! What a difference it makes when we love what we do.

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    1. You're so right Corinne - it seems such a shame to be working somewhere that means we waste Sundays anticipating Mondays and then wish away the working week waiting for the weekend. I'm so glad to be out of that now and I'm hoping this retired life continues to be as pleasant as it has been so far!

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  14. I guess our old habits die hard ! I have been fully retired from work for over 5 years and "still" get that Sunday arvo feeling. I admit, I miss the Friday feeling though! Here's to better days in retirement and less looking at the calendar. Denyse #mlstl

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    1. Hi Denyse, sometimes I think I enjoy Mondays even more when I look back at what I'd be doing if I was still working. The sigh of relief that I'm pleasantly out walking and not in traffic or walking into a tumultuous work environment is unbelievable. I just love this retirement gig!

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  15. Looking forward to this in about 3 months! Visiting from MLSTL.

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    1. Yes, I saw that you have the countdown happening - I truly hope you enjoy retirement as much as I am and that it's not too much of a wrench leaving the working life behind.

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  16. I don't dread Mondays like I used to when I was younger. I start each day working on my projects early in the morning before I get ready to go to work. Then I feel like I accomplished something.

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    1. Maybe that was my problem Jennifer? I never liked getting up early in the morning, so I didn't have that extra hour or so to do my own thing like you larks do! I'm so glad you have something that makes starting your day so pleasant.

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  17. Hi Leanne, it's been a while for me, but yes, I absolutely can relate to the TGIF, then Sunday night blues and Monday morning "here we go agains". I'm very grateful that I've been self employed for the last 6 years and although it's not the retired life, it's one where I make my own schedule, decisions, and choices. And, I don't mind Mondays. :)

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    1. I think self-employment in a field you love would definitely make Mondays a lot more pleasant Candi. Unfortunately I've never discovered anything I could do from home that would make me a decent income, so it's always been Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to work I go. And I don't miss those days at all!

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  18. Hi Leanne, it is wonderful to see that you are finally happy with life and over the toxic work environment you found yourself in. For me though, I still find I like structure in my week, even if it is at a slower pace. I don't think this will ever change so I've accepted that I need to have things planned and that makes life enjoyable for me. Of course, these days I've incorporated more 'self-care' and enjoy a couple of afternoons a week just laying down with a good book. It is a matter of 'horses for courses'. As you say, if you don't like something you can change it and you have certainly proven that theory works. Thanks for co-hosting #MLSTL with me and here's to more happy Mondays! xx

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    1. Hi Sue - I have certain things planned for particular days too - my volunteering, Tai Chi, exercise class, grocery shopping, coffee dates etc etc.....but what I love is that they're all on my terms and I really enjoy them all. That's so different to how things used to be, and I relish every day of the week now - no more counting down to Friday knock off time!

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  19. Happy Friday - our Julie has chosen your post to be FEATURED on the next Blogger's Pit Stop.
    Kathleen

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    1. Thanks so much to you both Kathleen - I was so excited when I saw it show up!

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