Office Furniture and Other Ways to Beat the Monday Blues

Are you one of those people who go to work on a Monday with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, stress or depression? After a great weekend do you suffer from a lack of motivation to work on a Monday? According to Rita Friedman, a career coach, everyone’s productivity is affected due to Monday blues and one person’s mood can affect the entire team (Smith, 2013). Furthermore, the Prospective Epidemiological Study of Myocardial Infarction (PRIME) showed that in Ireland, where binge drinking on weekends was common, the blood pressure of employees rose on Mondays (Andrews, 2012).

The above statistics clearly show the difficulty employees face while working on a Monday. The following are some ways in which you can eliminate your Monday morning blues:

1. Personalize your office furniture:

Making use of office furniture that reflects your personality helps you to add personal touches to your workplace. Creating your own space at work can help you feel more comfortable. For example:

Add a pop of colour to your existing workstation, place a cork board by your workstation where you can put up your favourite pictures and posters, or put plants on your desk. This will help you create a "home away from home."

2. Prepare for Monday on Friday:

Due to all the work that has piled up from the previous week, Mondays can turn out to be extra stressful and challenging. In order to reduce the stress on Monday morning, leave as few unpleasant tasks as you can (Smith, 2013). Friday, being a less stressful day due to the excitement of the weekend, can be used for sorting all the pending tasks and setting up a schedule for Monday. This will help you to be better prepared for Monday and reduce anxiety and stress.

3. Make use of ergonomics desk and chairs:

Sedentary lifestyles have become very common in modern times. Sitting is even termed as the new smoking because of its serious effects on health (Flynn A, 2017). Many businesses are making use of ergonomics chairs to reduce strain and helps employees to avoid work-related aches and pains. With an ergonomic workstation you would not have to worry about discomfort at work on an already stressful Monday.

4. Be well rested and positive:

Not having sufficient rest is one of the main reasons for Monday morning blues. Having only a couple hours of sleep on Sunday will most likely make you feel unhappy about going anywhere on a Monday morning (Smith, 2013). Having a good night’s sleep will help you feel more optimistic and happy about Monday.

Mondays can definitely be stressful but changing your attitude, managing stress, getting enough rest on the weekend and following the above tips can help you to beat Monday blues and improve your productivity.