#MondayMotivation is as easy as a smile

A little smile goes a long way to make Mondays better #MondayMotivation #ItDoesntCostAnythingTo (Photo via Ben Smith, Flickr)

For some people the Monday blues can kick in on Sunday evening.  But there are plenty of cost-free things to do to banish those beginning of the workweek blahs and start the workweek off with a smile.
Tap into the popular hashtags #ItDoesntCostAnythingTo and #MondayMotivation” on social media and you might just find that you can change your own attitude and perhaps improve the moods of your employees and colleagues. After all, gratitude is contagious!

“Tell Me Why I Don’t Like Mondays”

Now that you have that 80’s anthem in your head, there is no shortage of articles letting us know why Mondays can be challenging.  Mental Floss outlined scientific reasons that Mondays are “the worst” and they include:

 

  1. Sleep patterns – Often we try to catch up on sleep over the weekends, but sleeping in even an hour or two for just two days can confuse your body clock.
  2. Socialization – Apparently we humans need to feel comfortable with “our tribe” at work and even after just two days away, scientists say we need to make sure our place in our work environment is secure
  3. Sudden Change – There is a larger emotional shift from Sunday (a happy weekend day) to Monday (a work day) than there is between two work days.
  4. Feeling Bad About Yourself – If your weekend included eating or drinking more than normal your perception of yourself may be more negative.
  5. Unhealthy Habits – Scientists found that even people who generally maintain their weight weigh the most at the beginning of the week and Mondays are also the most common day for people to suffer heart attacks and strokes.
  6. Not Liking Your Job –  A Gallup poll revealed that 70 percent of people hate or, at best, are “completely disengaged” from their job.  Feelings of depression and anxiety can start on Sunday night, leading to an unproductive Monday which may be why 37 percent of job applications are submitted on Tuesdays.
But here’s some interesting news from Mental Floss that might make you re-think your stance on Mondays (looks like Mondays are getting a bad rap):
Scientists have found that when you ask people to record their emotions at regular intervals, it turns out that Mondays are no more stressful or depressing than Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Fridays only come out ahead because people are anticipating the weekend.

Easy Ideas to Make Mondays Better

Forbes offers 11 ideas to help make Mondays better that might be good to test out immediately.  Some sensible strategies are:
  • Prepare for Monday on Friday
  • Make a list of things you are excited about
  • Plan to make someone else happy
The Muse also provided action items to ease into Mondays at work. Some ideas are:
  • Start with something productive
  • Do something you enjoy
  • Smile

#MondayMotivation and “ItDoesntCostAnythingTo” Bring Smiles

We admit it, for many of us, we just need a super cute The Dodo post and we are set for the day. Social media is full of #MondayMotivation so check it out on your social media platform of choice; you might find it’s what you need to flip the Monday attitude switch. There are over 9 million posts on Instagram alone. Yikes! Just steer clear of the “downers” on social media and keep your social check-in short.

#ItDoesntCostAnythingTo” is a popular Twitter hashtag that generates yields results like:
  • Make a co-worker feel valued
  • Smile and make someone’s day
  • Be kind
  • Say Thank You
  • Enjoy a sunset
  • Change someone’s entire day by showing kindness to them
  • Pay attention
  • Make someone laugh
  • Hold the door for someone
  • Smile at strangers
  • Be with someone who is alone
  • Have manners and treat others with respect
  • Return the pen you borrowed
  • Stop and let someone into traffic

These are all cost-free things that you could put into practice that may end up making you feel good and turn someone else’s day around (which is a great thing Monday – Sunday)!

Be Awesome.If You Manage a Team

If you manage others, managing employee motivation is essential to a productive work week. Get to know your team and understand what they value and what motivates them.
For some, the perfect start to a workplace Monday could be enjoying coffee and a breakfast treat with coworkers and sharing the weekend highlights before the day begins. For others, the best motivation could be a sincere weekly message of appreciation, or the encouragement to take lunch-time to walk, workout or have lunch with your kids.
Take the time to figure it out. Your entire workplace will be happier, more loyal and more productive.

Make Employee Happiness a Year-Round Priority

Keep the commitment going towards building an everyday culture of appreciation and loyalty. Download gThankYou’s FREE “Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar” today and nurture a workplace culture that employees will love.
The gThankYou annual calendar is jam-packed with insights into the latest HR trends, how-to tutorials for engaging and thanking employees, case studies to inspire you, examples of holidays to celebrate each month, and research statistics to help you make the business case for appreciation.
Download yours FREE now and start today!

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou are two of America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S. Find out more: gThankYou Gift Certificates.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Gratitude Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

To learn more about gThankYou, watch our “About Us” Video and visit gThankYou today!

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gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.
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