M is for Monday

So it's a Monday.

By far the least favourite day of the week for most. 

As I begin to write about this day, I think of all the millions of people who have gone before me and expressed their two bobs worth about Mondays. Whether that be in blogs, magazine articles, journals, to a friend, status updates, text messages...I'm sure there are so many words floating around in this big universe about everyones lack of happy feelings about this first day of our working weeks.

It never ceases to amaze me how different days actually carry different feelings. It's such a subconscious thing for most of us, and something we accept. We don't really acknowledge or even seem to grasp that we actually have the choice in these feeling...that we have the ability to throw off these feelings and chose something else to wear. Something brighter and lighter, something less miserable and heavy.

This Monday feeling though, compared to all others, I do whole heartedly acknowledge is the worst.

It is like that annoying melancholy friend who follows you everywhere, kicking the back of your heals and when you turn around they offer not much more than a frown and defeated sigh.  AND just when you start to feel good about something this friend whispers some horrid depressing truth into your ear that sends those good feelings tumbling down into dark dank corners to hang out  with their own small depressed small feelings. Like a gang of 'woe is me's' these feelings become acquaintances joined together through self pity. They sit together and sigh dramatically, slump their shoulders and scratch their heads. 

Your poor feelings. 

And all because of this self defeated glum-bum who won't leave you alone. 

And even worse, as I said...we often do nothing about it! Why don't we just turn around and say "Hey. Stop following me you friggin weirdo" Instead we put up with their stale sighs and their rotting energy and sometimes even offer them piggy backs or sit down and indulge in their pathetic stories of how hard life really is...

Don't get me wrong, some people genuinely have problems, no matter the day of the week. But you know it's that Monday friend thats dragging you down if you awake on a Monday and your problems revolve around...

not wanting to start something (ie work, get out of bed, the shower, your blog...),

a general defeated-ness and a grand sense of despair about the lack of good in your life

(even though Saturday night you thought life was full and rich and wonderful),

if you feel the whole world is having a better day that you are and you've only just gotten into the car to drive to work,

or if you feel overwhelmed by the smallest of tasks (making toast) or if any change in your plans causes you to  either start crying or want to go back to bed (there is no toast left).

All signs that you are probably being coerced by the whispers of that woke you up unknowingly 

The good news is that if you were to tell that niggling friend in your ear just to bugger off and embrace, say, the Thursday feeling you probably would have a whole new perspective on things. 

Easier said than done? Not necessarily. 

We put such a massive deal into embracing our feelings that we often forget the power we have to throw them away. To speak the authority we have as choice making individuals and to adopt healthy, happy and hopeful feelings into any day. The way in which we nurture these feelings is individual at the core, but there are certain behaviours we can all adopt to keep that will make Mondays less daunting and keep that stinky, ugly, freak that is following us at bay (ok that was bit harsh I know, but really they are unpleasant).

1. Get up quickly and do not think about bed, soft sheets, sleeping, or the blissful weight of your socked feet on your 'soft as a sheeps back' mattress. Do not lie in bed a little bit longer, do not pass your alarm and collect another two minutes. Get up!

2. Think about how quickly a day generally goes, especially one in which you wear your favourite knickers.

3. Put on your favourite knickers.

4. Take some deep breathes before you leave and say something kind to yourself...in fact say all the kind things you can think about yourself before you leave through the door into your day.

5. Opt for gratitude instead of self-pity. Choose to be positive. Yes it is a choice.

If all else fails, drink coffee, eat chocolate, do some spins on your office chair, watch something simple minded and funny on you-tube or take ridiculous photos of yourself with a Macbook Photomaker where you can make your forehead look like a pineapple. 

All these things are guaranteed to make you feel happier and to keep your niggling nancy pants mopy pal away. 

So I just spent a good part of my Monday writing about it being Monday and now it's almost not even Monday anymore!

Oh yeah, thank God for Tuesdays.