I have a friend on Facebook who always writes about how much he hates Mondays and that he really needs to win the lottery. He writes this in all caps. He writes it almost every week. Mondays for him are something to dread.

How is an attitude like that going to help him? It’s not.

How do you approach Monday?

Do you get the Sunday night blues as Monday looms in the not-too-distant future? Another week is about to begin in the same old job with the same old routines. Even your breakfast is the same.

Or do you promise yourself that Monday will be the start of something great? You’re going to begin your diet and exercise regimen, or that project you’ve been dreaming of.

Why do Mondays hold such importance for us? What if Mondays didn’t suck?

I was alway taught that Sunday is the first day of the week. Why can’t you start your diet on Sunday? Why do you have to wait until Monday to make things right?

Do Something About It

If you really hate Mondays that much, it’s a sign that you need to either change what you do on Mondays, or change your attitude about Mondays.

I understand most people can’t just up and leave their job. But you can change how you feel about it. If you let it bother you that much, you’re going to continue to be miserable. Think about how you can make Monday better. Have a relaxing start to the day and a healthy breakfast. Listen to soothing music in the car instead of talk radio. Maybe you can put some pictures of your family on your desk. Or bring a more interesting lunch. Or take your break outside in nature. Or dress a little nicer so you feel special.

Do something positive to make the day better instead of complaining.

The Lottery Mentality

A lot of people have a lottery mentality. We see this often in the coaching world. They think that some windfall is going to rescue them. The lottery dream can be dangerous. It keeps people from rescuing themselves.

I was at a family party recently and one of the kids was talking about a Bugatti, a very expensive car that costs more than a million dollars. One of the adults said that all kids think they are going to be rich. His 10-year-old son sat down next to him and said, “I’m going to be rich.” And his father asked him how. Of course, he didn’t have an answer he just said he was going to be rich.

I think that’s where the lottery mentality comes from. It starts as kids and we never really let that dream go. America is the land of riches after all.

Heart Attacks Happen on Mondays Mornings

I read several studies about higher risk factors for heart attacks on Monday mornings. An increase in stress hormones causes an increase in arrhythmias on Monday mornings. The dread of Monday causes a peak, while the lowest rates are measured on Saturdays and Sundays.

Before I was born my father had a very stressful job. My mother said he was extremely unhappy and had a nightmare of a boss, but he had to work as they had four kids at the time. She thinks the stress of his job contributed to his first heart attack.

His lottery was surviving the heart attack. Most people in America assume they will survive their first heart attack and then they’ll start caring for themselves. But sadly most don’t.

Fortunately for my family, my father survived. After he recovered he opened his own business, had me, and vowed to always be his own boss. He took action and changed his Mondays for the better.

Think about what you can change this week so Mondays are just another wonderful day in your life.