How to Stop Dreading Mondays With Mindfulness
I haven’t met many people who actually like Mondays, but I do know it is possible…
Many people don’t enjoy Mondays due to not being satisfied with their job. But it is possible to love Mondays and it usually happens when you find your passion; when you follow what’s within you and your souls calling.
For me, I’m in the midst of my search. I believe finding your purpose is a similar path as someone going in search to find a treasure. You get clues each day of what it is that you’re meant to do and if you listen to the cues and your intuition, you will always be directed towards it.
Do I believe everyone is here with a purpose? Yes, 100%. Now, that doesn’t mean we all follow our purpose. Everyone’s purpose isn’t extravagant either – it could be as simple as being an amazing mother. Or it could be the best doorman; full of enthusiasm and cheerfulness.
The other day, I really hit a point in my life where it really sank in that we only have one life to live. I understand others have different beliefs, but regardless, no one is guaranteed to live this same exact life. None of us also know for sure what waits for us at death. The point I am trying to make is, stop dreading each moment. In my discovery, it almost felt like I’ve gotten closer to the idea of the purpose of life, which is that we have a purpose to make a difference for the next generation ahead. It’s our duty.
You may be bitter in believing any of this because you may not love your job and you may not be in a good place mentally. I get it. It’s not easy and it’s not a good place to be mentally. And switching jobs isn’t as easy where you can just quit and figure out what to do. Not many of us are at that financial state to do so.
Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the process and no reason not to. I believe we should really enjoy each moment. I also believe tribulations make us who we are and believe each path we were given has a purpose in the big picture. With each tribulation, you get closer to who you are meant to be, so, why not have a positive attitude during the process?
Essentially, the ideal time you would stop dreading Mondays is when you start doing the things you are most passionate about. But you may not know what that is yet, and you may not know how to get there if you do know what your passion is. For the time being, if you are at a job that is draining and not motivating, take a step back and write a plan. It’s important to take action each day that will eventually take you out of that state.
You can do this type of practice with any uncomfortable situation, it doesn’t have to be a just on a Monday. Maybe you like your job, but there are other parts or times in your life where you are not enjoying, and you can implement this practice during those times.
To be clear, practicing mindfulness while experiencing uncomfortable situations does not necessarily make it go away, but it does allow you to better cope with the situation and make the experience easier to tackle.
Mindfulness /ˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/ noun a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.
That is the modern day dictionary.com’s explanation on it and they hit it spot on. Mindfulness is a practice in which you become more aware of your surroundings, you notice things you normally would ignore and essentially, it’s a practice to get yourself out of the automatic way of thinking. We are not meant to be like robots and yet we easily act like it in most of our daily routines, which then leads us to miss the important things life has to offer.
Currently, I am reading the Alchemist and it reminds me of the part where the boy is told to hold a spoon full of oil and concentrate only on that spoon without letting anything spill, and while doing this he misses out on all his beautiful surroundings. Not practicing mindfulness is like this. Not being mindful of your surroundings and the little miracles of everyday living is missing out on the beauty of living. So, although, you may be in a position where you are not loving what you are doing, I believe you can always turn it around by practicing mindfulness and being positive that things will change. Of course, you must work through it so that your situation does change, but there is no reason to be miserable during the process. Remember, you only have one life to live – don’t let it go to waste. Everything about this life is extra-ordinary and beautiful – all you have to do is become one with it.
Remembering that your work doesn’t have to take up all your life is one step closer to stop dreading Mondays or any other day. You can make anything else become the dominant part of your day by focusing on that one activity. For example, for me I love taking cycling or boxing classes, which I do in the mornings before work. I focus on how good it made me feel, how fun it was, how strong it made me feel all day instead of focusing on the bad parts of my day. You can also do it vice versa where you can hype yourself up for your class and how you will be taking care of your body at the end of the day.
Throughout my day, I tune into the little things that happen, such as focusing on someone’s face while they are talking to me or focusing on a song I’m listening to or just noticing my surroundings. It may seem so minuscular of just focusing on one thing, but it really is the small things that make the biggest impact. Mindfulness is like this in that way that every small thing you focus on allows you to be more in tune with your body and soul. It takes in all the small things that happen to you and allows you to appreciate them immensely.
When I discovered mindfulness, I felt like I discovered the key of life. It’s not an easy practice, but with all things, it takes time and effort. I use an app called Chill, where it reminds you to be mindful throughout the day. You can also view your mindfulness quote each day and I think it’s a nice little practice in your day.
Here are some other things you can do to ensure you won’t dread Monday’s:
- Go to the gym first thing in the morning
- Wear something that makes you confident and happy
- Write one goal you would like to accomplish for that day
- Meditate
- Laugh. Call your mom/dad/sister/brother or best friend and just laugh it out – train your mind to be happy on Mondays
- Health = your wealth. Feed your body nourishing foods and take good care of your temple
- Have a gratitude journal. Write down everything your grateful for each morning. It may take a while until the success of this will show, but just be patient and you will notice your heart is growing to be more grateful each day, which in turn will make you more positive and allow you to manifest more of what you want
Until you reach the moment where Mondays become an ordinary day where you can fully enjoy it, try to do this routine to improve your week. Always start on a strong note, because life no matter what will catch you on the blind side. And like my mother always says, be stronger than life and you’ll be guaranteed success!
Finally, always remember, progress = happiness, so every small little win you have, don’t forget to celebrate it! Every time you have a good feeling, stay there for a little longer than you normally would. Feel it out and with your mindfulness practice really notice how it makes you feel. When you prolong a good feeling, it will allow you to feel and stay more positive throughout the day, but also will allow you to look back at it and remind yourself of the experience.
Hope you can implement mindfulness to your days and to your Mondays and realize how wonderful little things can really be. We are not guaranteed any of this, but we are given this gift and it’s important to enjoy it, to not take ourselves too seriously and strive to make it a better place for all because we are all in it together.
Until next time,
Ozzy
Disclaimer: For full disclosure of my blog, please read this.
“Do not seek Enlightenment by rejecting your senses and thoughts. When you are neither attached to nor detached from them, when you are neither abiding with nor clinging to them, then you enjoy perfect unobstructed freedom.” – Huang-po
Memoallure 
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