It’s Monday.
And your alarm isn’t telling you “Let’s go”; it’s telling you “Run before reality catches up with you.”
Instagram suggests you practice gratitude.
Your feed wants you to set goals.
Come on, start your journal—otherwise you’ll never be successful.
Do your breathing exercises. Drink your lemon water and harness the sunrise to begin the day bright-eyed and upbeat.
Visualize your inner greatness as you attempt to ignore reality between back-to-back Zoom calls.
Honestly, you’d rather just relive yesterday’s brunch—too much champagne, too much laughter, and that one story about a boss who almost threw you out of the café.
She was laughing so hard, to be clear.
And now you’re supposed to be productive, inspired, laser-focused?
Back in the day, we simply had coffee and hoped nobody would call.
Now you need a seven-step morning routine just to avoid fading into oblivion—and for us over-40 folks, it’d better be posted in plain sight on the fridge, so you don’t forget it while the coffee maker is sputtering away:
Breathing techniques, journaling, a cold shower, 10,000 steps, podcasts—all before breakfast. Oh wait, yes, also before coffee.
Ideally with an app that tracks your gratitude. By the time you figure out what you’re grateful for, it’s practically Tuesday.
But maybe Monday isn’t the real problem.
Maybe it’s the idea that you’re supposed to be someone entirely different at the start of the week than you were on Sunday.
It could be that your inner drive hasn’t vanished; it’s just annoyed by calendar-worthy slogans, neon-colored to-do lists, and the mental balancing act between self-improvement and wanting to pull back.
Maybe you’re not running out of energy—maybe you’re just worn out from the expectation that, of all days, Monday is when you need to debut a superior version of yourself.
If you spent Sunday dissecting your boss over a glass of bubbly, why pretend on Monday you’re some productivity guru who sprinkles almonds and oat milk on your cereal?
And if none of this helps, remember—somewhere, there’s a person writing in their journal about how grateful they are for you. Probably not you yourself. And definitely not on a Monday.
The first day of the week isn’t the culprit.
It just tends to hit first, full force, and reveal how much you’ve been kidding yourself the rest of the time.
Suddenly, the weekend feels more like an emergency exit than a genuine source of rest. Your job doesn’t feel like a space to create anymore; it feels like a straitjacket. And caught up in daily routines, you lose sight of yourself.
That’s why the start of a new round often hits like a well-aimed punch. Not because Monday is particularly cruel, but because it mercilessly exposes
how hard it is to pick up where you swore you’d stop on Friday.
It’s not the day that’s heavy—it’s the realization that nothing has changed. And that you’re forcing yourself back into a role that no longer fits.
If you have to “survive” every new week, the problem isn’t your calendar.
It’s the way you organize your life: your relationship to work, meaning, and energy. The pressure to do everything “right”—even though you may no longer know what “right” actually means to you.
Monday fatigue is not failure. It’s a message. One you can’t chase away with espresso and clichéd inspiration.
So what now? A solution with no motivational catchphrase.
There won’t be any “Get up earlier” or “Just smile more” tips here. Instead, here are three honest suggestions you might—or might not—carry with you. You decide what truly fits.
1. Monday isn’t the enemy. It’s an echo.
Pay attention to what’s going on inside you, without judgment. Simply notice. Not “I’m unmotivated,” but:
What am I missing the spark for today?
What was there on the weekend that’s missing now?
Would I feel differently if I were working on something that genuinely matters to me?
2. Make the start of the week your personal statement.
Craft the beginning intentionally—just for you. Before you do anything for anyone else. Ten minutes, half an hour, maybe more. It’s not about the length of time, it’s about your mindset.
Read a few pages. Write down what’s weighing on you. Get some fresh air. Sip your coffee in peace and stare out the window—no goal, no expectations.
Not as an act of defiance against Monday, but precisely because it’s Monday.
3. Shift perspective: Monday is a signpost.
Not every week starts off brilliantly. But each one offers clues about where you currently stand. If you feel that weight on Monday, it’s no flaw—it means you’re alive to it.
Ask yourself questions like:
Would it be easier to start the week if I let myself off the hook sometimes?
Would I move forward differently if I didn’t need to do everything perfectly?
Maybe you don’t need a new plan.
Maybe you just need to let go of an outdated ideal.
Monday doesn’t have to be your favorite. But it can be the most honest moment of the week. And that’s a start.
Maybe it’s not a tormentor—maybe it’s just the first one brave enough to say, “This can’t go on the way it has.”
And maybe this time, instead of adding another line to your to-do list, you answer with, “Okay. I’m listening.”
📢 Werbung
The Substance on Blue Ray
“Magnificent… Could just be your new favorite horror movie” – Phil de Semlyen, TimeOut
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.*
- Toxic Positivity and Emotional Suppression
Excessive positivity can suppress emotions and harm mental health. Learn how toxic positivity affects society and why emotional acceptance is key. - The Burden of Words: A Psychological Analysis of Writer’s Block
The Burden of Words: Writer’s block – a state that feels like an invisible prison, shackling thoughts and suffocating every creative impulse. It creeps in insidiously, like a shadow darkening even the brightest light. Those who have experienced it know the feeling of emptiness, the endless staring at the blinking cursor, taunting like a mocking… Read more: The Burden of Words: A Psychological Analysis of Writer’s Block - Why Negative Headlines Work – And How Ethical Journalism Can Compete
In today’s digital world, where headlines compete for our attention, one constant remains: Negative news captivates us like a magnet. But why is that? A recent study confirms that negative words in headlines significantly boost click-through rates (CTR), while positive words are less reliable in driving clicks. This finding raises questions about the psychology of… Read more: Why Negative Headlines Work – And How Ethical Journalism Can Compete - What’s Love Got to Do with Rationality? The Psychology of Money in Relationships
The Psychology of Money: Financial security has taken center stage in modern relationships—so much so that for many, it now eclipses traditional romantic ideals. A recent study by Simplii Financial reveals that more than two-thirds of Canadians consider financial stability a crucial factor when selecting a partner. Even more striking, over half of singles would… Read more: What’s Love Got to Do with Rationality? The Psychology of Money in Relationships
