It’s almost *that* time of the week on Instagram. You know what I’m talking about… The influx of posts every Sunday afternoon around 4pm lamenting that the weekend is almost over and Monday is just around the corner. This unhappiness is an ailment so common that there’s actually a word for it:
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, because from what I can tell there are two types of people who do not like Monday: people who dislike Monday because it signals the end of their free time for another weekend, and people who dislike Monday because it signals the return to a job that makes them miserable during the week. This might seem like a minor difference at first glance, but the source of Monday dislike says a great deal about the working week mindset of people. If you find yourself falling into the second category, it could be time to reassess your relationship with Monday.
The first step to understanding your relationship with Monday is to determine where your Sunday blues originate. Some people say that a Sunday well spent brings a week of content, but the best Sunday in the world won’t be able to make up for a job that consistently makes you miserable. If the impending arrival of Monday has you feeling anxious, angry, sad, scared, depressed, or stressed, the problem with Monday could go beyond simply relinquishing the freedom you have on a weekend for another five days.
I’ll be honest with you, I bloody love my job but some Mondays even I struggle to get my butt back to work. I usually spend a day each weekend trawling through Bloglovin’ and YouTube, making notes and getting my blog ready for the week ahead, and it’s a total blast. This doesn’t feel like work, and that’s fair enough because at this point in time my blog contributes a grand total of zero dollars to my life. It’s not work. My blog is my passion project and I’d be lying if I said the idea of it making money one day doesn’t appeal to me, but right now my Monday-Friday job pays my bills. I’ve worked hard to align the money-making side of my life with my interests, but I know what it’s like to hate (and by hate I mean truly loathe) my job.
Spending 40 hours a week in a constant state of misery and stress isn’t healthy. I have been there, back in 2012. I was an unhappy, despondent person, and it didn’t take long for the sense of anguish and hopelessness to infect every other part of my non-working life. I started applying for jobs all over the place, some that I was well suited for and some that I was so unqualified for the person reading my application would have had to chuckle. I applied to go back to study in the hope of one day opening up new doors. I reached a point where any kind of escape was better than no escape at all. I was lucky to only spend around six months in this state, but it was enough for me to promise myself that I’d never end up there again. Now I’m writing this blog post, hoping that if you feel stuck or tormented in your job that you’ll feel inspired to make a change. As we all know, nothing changes if nothing changes.
The jobs market has changed so much over the past ten years. My current job managing social media accounts wasn’t on my radar ten years ago when I was studying. It probably wouldn’t have been something I’d have considered even five years ago. New job opportunities and in some cases entire industries are being created faster than university courses can keep up, and it could very well be the case that there are fields and opportunities opening up now that are perfect for you. Or, and I hate myself for saying this, maybe the perfect opportunity is simply waiting for you to create it yourself (sorry).
Contrary to what inspirational Instagram accounts tell you, every day probably won’t feel like the weekend even if you do end up in your dream industry. That’s okay. That’s real life. With that said, no harm can come from investigating job opportunities that better align with your interests and your passions. Similarly, a job better suited to you could already exist in the company you currently work for, but you might not be qualified for it or have enough experience. If you’re truly committed to moving onwards and upwards, understand what you have to do (whether it be undertaking further study or speaking to someone in your job and letting them know what you’re aiming for) and work towards it. At the risk of sounding like a motivational poster again, we do only have one life and we’re alive to do more than just pay bills, retire, and die.
One day, in a future that is at least five to ten years away, I would love to be able to work for myself. Some people out there may be bold enough (and I applaud you if you are) to chase that dream immediately, but I’m far too afraid of the unknown to back myself just yet. If you’re ready to take a leap towards something that you’re genuinely passionate about, take it! Create a life that inspires you, and don’t settle for a life that depresses you.
If a total career change isn’t possible in the short-term, carve out a small portion of each day to do something that is solely for your own benefit.Even if you can only manage 15 minutes, give yourself something to look forward to when the day is starting to drag you down. Every morning I aim to get to a cafe across the road from my train station with about 20 minutes to spare so I can have a cup of tea and read. Walking into work 45 minutes later, though never something I dread, is much easier when I’ve started the day on my own terms.
I suppose that is the point of this long, rambling (sorry) post. Creating a life on your own terms will make Sunday nights and the inevitable Monday mornings that follow much easier to handle. You didn’t hear this from me, but you might actually find yourself looking forward to the week ahead.
