How to “Monday”?

Hello lovelies!

happy

Monday holds a significant value when it comes to being productive through the week, in all aspects, and rightly so because “Mondaying” is harder than doing any other day of the week. All the more when you are struggling to find the “Monday Motivation” to exercise. I-get-it; and being a fitness professional, I suppose all I want to do is to make it a little less hard for you, that exercise bit.

Here are some guidelines to help you get into that Monday groove, fire up your motivation (I mean, at least try to light it) so you can work with something other than caffeine to get through your Monday and get things done, yes, I do mean getting a workout done because, you don't skip Mondays, right?

Please understand that this isn’t the only way to do your Monday right. ‘Just going to get stuff done because it’s Monday’ is good enough but since that won’t float your boat always, you need a contingency plan.

This is exactly that, a contingency plan. I will not say it’s fail-proof but it will get things done, motivation or not. I’m also hoping this will help you work through your Monday in a better way, your workout and otherwise.

• Have a self-care Sunday: a little self-care on Sunday can go a long way in helping you stay on your toes the following week along with an absolute stress relief after a hectic one. Fix your favourite breakfast, brunch, rest well, hydrate, have a skin care routine; do things that you like and ones that don’t demand lot of physical effort that will exhaust you.
• Plan your Monday: Planning your entire week can seem a little overwhelming, instead, start by planning your Monday. Will not take more than 15 minutes of your Sunday. Structured Mondays are successful Mondays! And block a 30-minute window for your workout so you won’t push it further (or onto next Monday?). Save that time for workout in the morning if you log off late in the evenings. Know that there isn’t a best time to exercise as long as you can get it done anytime throughout the day.
• Meal prep for your Monday: Sounds tedious but it’s not. Another 15 minutes of your Sunday. Plan minimum 5 meals for your Monday. Breakfast being primarily important. See what ingredients you have to work with, find healthy options, decide things that don’t need lot of preparations and cooking time.
• Get enough sleep on Sunday night: Get at least 7hours of sleep before you start your Monday. When you are well rested, you don’t struggle to find the energy to “Monday”. A good sleep is going to help you think better, act faster, be more efficient in your work (and workout) and ensure you stick to your Monday schedule as planned (exercise and all).
• Have a good Monday breakfast: And that is not Coffee. That meal prep bit comes in handy here. Healthy breakfast on your Monday can avoid binge eating through the day that makes you lethargic and sluggish, that keeps you from finding the “motivation” for your workout.
• Do not wake up too close to the time you start your work: Monday morning governs your Monday mood. Wake up early, at least an hour and a half before your start your work because then you can do Monday morning that doesn’t start with coffee, fix a nice breakfast, soak in some sun, process; this will give you a buffer period before you have to start being productive.
• Hydrate (You need Water, not Coffee): Because then you will also have to move to pee often, one way to stay quick on your feet and active (am I still making sense?). But really, drinking water through the day is going to tell you exactly when you need food and you won’t stuff everything in your sight in your mouth when you are thirsty (our brains can’t quite differentiate between the signals that tell if we are hungry or thirsty, Evolution, what?).
• Exercise in the time you have blocked: This time isn’t a free window. Get some exercise done in this period. Stop thinking that working out is optional (it really isn’t, you know?). You have blocked the time and that has to serve a purpose. And you know why you block the exercise window? Because, Discipline over Motivation, every single Monday (and every other day that you don’t find motivation).
• Find someone to workout with: Important but not necessary. Sign up with a trainer or find a workout partner. This is necessary on the days you don’t have your motivation and that tends to happen quite often on Mondays. Having someone to workout with is going to ensure that you block a time and get your workout done.
• Design a challenging workout: Plan a workout that will push you to your limits and beyond, especially on a Monday. You need those endorphins to kick in. Even a small workout, that is challenging enough will set a positive workout tempo and serve as a motivation through the week. Ask a professional to design a workout for you if you think you need help. Any workout is good but a structured, challenging and a progressive workout designed considering your timeline, is better.
• Prioritise your health: Maybe this bit needs to be somewhere at the beginning but even if it isn't, it has solid credibility. You can make way for good things, better Mondays only if you understand how crucial it is to prioritise your health. I take, the COVID-19 pandemic has done that scarily well.
• Stop giving ‘no motivation’ excuses: Which is surprisingly an excuse only when it comes to working out? You don’t take Mondays off from work because you have ‘no motivation’. You might not like it but you show up for work anyway. Working out won’t pay your bills (unless you are a fitness professional, because then it will, take my word for it :)) but it will keep you alive. So that’s what you do, Motivation or not, show up anyway, exercise anyway (blocked a window, might as well get it done?).

I haven’t written anything that you don’t already know but someone writing about it and you reading it makes it a real deal, maybe?

So, my two cents for you and your Monday-

You cannot run Mondays with Motivation and Caffeine. You need Control, you need Accountability and you need Discipline.