Several surveys have found that half of people have “really bad” anxiety on a Sunday evening when thinking about the upcoming working week, so much so that they want a new job! If you’re dreading Mondays and the week’s impending tasks, deadlines and meetings, you need to address it.
The easiest way to get a handle on this is by preparing for the following week on the Friday.

Don’t make a break for the weekend

Unsurprisingly, clock watching doesn’t make time move faster, especially on a Friday afternoon. Whilst you’re desperate to get out and enjoy the weekend, disconnecting from work and running out the door at 5pm will make your Mondays much harder.
Try taking at least five minutes to prepare your desk and surroundings for the week ahead – throw away any documents which are no longer needed, ensure any equipment you will need on Monday is it at hand and generally organize your working area. This way you can hit the ground running come Monday morning, making your first day back much less stressful.

Know what’s coming up

Take a look at your calendar for the following week and start mapping out how you’re going to spend your time on Monday. Go one step further and leave notes for yourself about deadlines and tasks just so they don’t slip your mind. By knowing the order of your day, you can prioritize your tasks better, which puts you in control leaving you lest stressed.

Unfinished business needs to be finished

Leaving on time on a Friday is a dream but if your deep in a project, push through the urge to just leave come home time. Telling yourself you will finish it next week is fine but you will lose the momentum you have built and resurrecting that on Monday might be challenging. Plus, it will only play on your mind all weekend.

Plan ahead

If you find yourself unable to wrap up your work on most Thursdays and Fridays, it is worth reassessing how you are spreading your work out across the week. By understanding what areas of work are more time consuming than others, you can schedule better. If necessary, ask your co-workers for help and if this is still not helpful speak to your manager about bringing more people on to help with the hefty work load.

Look at the bigger picture

If you’ve made an effort to improve your Mondays but still find yourself feeling anxious about what the week is going to hold, it is worth considering if the job itself is what is causing you stress. Your current job may not be a good fit for you and no amount of preparing on a Friday afternoon can fix this. There is no harm in seeing what else is out there which may be more suitable for you.

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