Are the Sunday Scaries robbing you of enjoying your weekend? Do you get that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach the closer you inch to Monday morning every weekend? Have you started to "live for the weekends" instead of making the best of each day?

If you can relate, it's time for a change. For some, this means it's time to learn how to reschedule and plan for your week so you can walk into Monday with confidence. For others, this means making some significant life changes, so you find purpose and enjoyment every day and not just on the weekends.

If you don't like Mondays, it's time to change them! You're the only one who can take action to make your weeks better for yourself, and we're going to help you along the way.

How to design your week to "work smarter, not harder"

Many of us try to front-load our weeks to give ourselves light Fridays to help ease into the weekend. That's not actually the best way to work, especially for those of us who work with people who like to drop new projects in our laps before they check out for the weekend themselves. Below we're going to share a strategy that can help you work smarter, not harder, while kicking those Sunday Scaries to the curb.

The first thing we suggest is to start thinking about the week more holistically. Instead of looking at each 8 hour day (or 10 or 15...) individually, think about your time as a 168-hour week. Doing so will help you schedule your week to increase productivity and decrease stress.

Some days are better for responding to emails and setting meetings, and others are better for the deeper, more focused thinking that needs to be done on complex projects. Learning the best time to schedule activities into your week can transform how you think and feel about work, the weekends, and Mondays.

Monday

When you set up and optimize your ideal work week, you can slide into Monday with high energy from the weekend and consult the vision you set on Friday.

Keep your Monday plan relatively flexible. This is not the day to plan on completing your most important tasks for the week because you never know what surprises will have popped up over the weekend. If you have a strict Monday plan in place, these unexpected issues can derail your day, which can quickly derail your whole week.

Tuesday and Wednesday

These are the days we tend to be at peak productivity, making these the best days to tackle our most challenging problems.

When facing significant obstacles or projects, it's best to break them down into smaller steps/actions the same way you do when setting SMART goals. Then you can focus on each task while resting assured that you're making progress toward your goal or completing the project.

It's essential to understand your "big rock" priorities during these days of peak productivity. Businessman and author Stephen Covey teaches that "big rocks" are the most important things that need our attention and fill up whatever space we have, like a glass jar. When you focus on the big things first, you will still have time to fill in the smaller "grains of sand" around them, which are your smaller activities and tasks. If you fill your day with the smaller tasks first, they have a way of stealing all your time, so you never complete the big things.

Thursday

Our energy starts to wane on Thursdays as our minds shift into the weekend. Focus on being productive on the big things in the morning and reserve the afternoon for meetings where decisions need to be made. People are more likely to make compromises to make decisions, so they don't have to carry them into the weekend.

Friday

Friday is the day to focus on low-stress work, including big picture goal-setting, relationship building, and maintenance tasks.

It is a great day to focus on relationship-building tasks such as lunch meetings and making phone calls you've been pushing back. Clean up your email inbox and respond to emails waiting for your attention. These activities help people go into the weekend feeling pleased with the individual attention they received from you, fostering positive ongoing relationships.

Fridays can also be an excellent time to reflect on and assess the progress you're making towards your goals. This can help you re-prioritize the work you need to do in the upcoming week to continue to make progress.

Before you end the workday on Friday, spend time creating a plan for the upcoming week based on those priorities and tasks. Then, make sure your workspace is clean, clear, and ready to welcome you back on Monday. Knowing you have a well-thought-out plan in place can help you keep your mind off work on the weekend and stop your Sunday from turning into a pre-Monday stress-fest.

By shifting your mindset around the structure of a workweek, you will find yourself more efficient, effective, and happier.

Been there, done that, and still hate Mondays?

If you feel like you've jumped through hoops, tested frameworks, and tried everything you can think of, and the Sunday Scaries are still getting you down, it's likely time to make a more considerable change. It may be time to rethink your career.

News flash! We're in the middle of The Great Resignation, so if you're sick and tired of your boss, your job, or the entire industry you started in, you are definitely not alone! The good news is: you have the power to make a change. Gone are the days of committing to a job at 22 years old and staying put for 40 years until you retire, regardless of if you like the job or not.

If you hate Mondays because you have to go back to work and you hate Sundays because you know you have to go back to work the next day, you can make a change. You have choices, and a lot of them right now.

If you are ready to make a big change, here are some things to keep in mind.

Your job should align with your values

When your job doesn't align with your values, you will dread investing your precious time into it. When your work aligns with your values, you will feel like the work you do matters. There will be a sense of fulfillment that you experience from doing the work.

The first step to finding a job that matches your values is to identify what your values truly are. If you have never spent time reflecting on this and aren't sure where to start, one of our New York City Psychotherapy Collective therapists can help.

You don't have to follow a set path

Did you go to school and get that fancy degree only to discover you can't imagine spending the rest of your life working in that career? That's OK, you don't have to!

Past generations operated on that belief, but that doesn't mean we have to, nor should we. Life is all about finding what's suitable for you. How are you supposed to honestly know at 18 years old (or even 30 years old) what you want to do for the rest of your life? Stop putting that pressure on yourself and stop allowing others to put that pressure on you.

It's OK to make a change in where you work. It's OK to make a change in your career. In fact, if you're making a change that will help you to feel more fulfilled and enjoy life more, it's a fantastic thing that will not only benefit you but everyone you come into contact with, as well.

Sometimes we all need a little help

There can be a lot of different reasons why we struggle with the thought of Mondays or why we keep ending up in jobs that leave us wanting more. If you have been struggling to figure this out on your own, it may be time to enlist the help of a therapist. If you're ready to start seeing the positive changes you want so you can enjoy each day more, reach out.

Follow the steps below to get started:

• Click here to share some information about you so that we can match you with the perfect therapist for your needs.

• Have a low-pressure, 20-minute call with your therapist to make sure they are the right fit.

• Schedule your first session and start on your journey to feeling better right away.

We offer specialized services for related issues like Anxiety, Depression, LGBTQ Affirming Therapy, and Therapy Specifically for Young Adults. We can help you feel less overwhelmed, more relaxed, and more like the self you want to be.

Contact us here to get started today!