How to Make Mondays Work Better for Everyone
By Sandy Schroeder
Research shows 76 percent of Americans struggle with Sunday night blues as they head back to work on Monday. Wednesdays are Hump Day and Fridays spell freedom, but Mondays often become a challenge. Finding ways to make Mondays better might be a real breakthrough for everybody. Fast Company agrees. It came up with some easy ways to take the dread out of Mondays.
Add an Hour of Open Morning Time
Monday mornings at home are fairly frantic as everybody struggles to pull back from the weekend. Breakfasts, lunches, homework and commutes all compete for attention, as employees try to show up at work on time ready for action. An hour of free open time could be a lifesaver for many employees. Managers might invite their employees to use the open time from 9 to 10 a.m. to wrap up last week’s work and prepare for the meetings ahead. That may be just what is needed to polish presentations or finish off leftover assignments.
Close Out the Day with a Creative Session
As energy lags and people slow down, a brainstorming session might be a great way to keep everybody involved on Monday afternoon. Make it easy to do. Just have everyone show up and respond to some good open end topics that are provocative enough to encourage participation. New ideas and new directions may pop to the surface in these sessions. If they become regular events, employees might look forward to them as a way to get their ideas out there.
Lighten Up Monday with Added Touches
Dinners, lunches, walks or workouts often turn up as special employee events during the week, but positioning one of those events on Monday might be a good strategy to help everybody relax a little.
Ask for Suggestions for Monday
It may be tempting fate to ask employees to make suggestions about Monday, but it might also generate some very workable ideas that really engage employees. Put the idea out there. Ask employees to come up with ways to make Mondays work better and see what happens.
Keep Mondays Casual too
Mondays may become a casual dress day just like Friday, which may be one more way to help everybody ease back into the routine. Making Monday a more comfortable day could be an interesting experiment that takes a lot of the dread out of the day.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Coppell, Tex.
