An Optimist Looks At Monday
August 31, 2026
When I was a college radio DJ, I hosted a morning show called “How to Start Your Week Without Really Trying.” Which was a mild riff on the fact that my show was on Tuesday morning, and most of the music I played didn’t exactly fit a morning mood. In fact I played almost everything from Coltrane to the Clash, and worked in a few songs of my own. Good times.
Fast forward a few years. Monday can be a polarizing day. You either love them or hate them. Hate may be a little strong in this context, but there is science behind it.
According to Science Insights, Mondays feel harder because your body is genuinely out of sync. A combination of disrupted sleep timing, a spike in stress hormones, and an abrupt loss of personal autonomy creates a perfect storm that hits every Monday morning. This isn’t just a bad attitude or a meme. It’s a measurable biological and psychological phenomenon with real consequences for your mood, your cognition, and even your heart. I’ve seen this for real in the past few months, taking my blood pressure and pulse every day. All three vitals are a little higher on Monday.
The single biggest driver of Monday misery is something researchers call “social jetlag.” About 80% of people shift their sleep times between weekdays and weekends, staying up later and sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday. By Monday, your internal clock has drifted later, but your alarm hasn’t. The result is the biological equivalent of flying across time zones, except the sun outside your window hasn’t changed at all. Your body expects to still be asleep, but your schedule says otherwise.
Back to the polarizing thing. The love side looks forward to the optimism of the week ahead, while the hate side mourns the weekend and dreads the five days of drudgery. Personally, I’ve always loved the optimism that the new week brings. Look forward to new skills you can learn, new ways to advance your brand awareness, new opportunities to meet people or try out new stuff.
Some quick ways of minimizing the Monday dread:
Plan your week ahead but not on Friday. Don’t cannibalize your weekend by planning ahead on Friday. That steals time and makes the planning harder.
Prepare a little on Sunday Night. Take 30 minutes on Sunday evening to plan out your week. Write down your key tasks, prioritize your goals, and organize your workspace.
Positive Morning Routine Try waking up 15 minutes earlier to start your day with intention. Whether it’s a short meditation, a quick workout, indulge one of your children with frets, or simply savoring a cup of coffee in peace, a positive morning routine can set the tone for a productive week.
Be proud of little victories. Mondays can feel daunting because they represent the start of a long week. Combat this by focusing on small, achievable goals. Celebrate your progress, no matter how minor it seems. This can boost your motivation and help you build momentum for the rest of the week.
Embrace the optimism of the week ahead. Learn to like Mondays!
