How to Beat the Monday Morning Blues

There's actually a scientific explanation behind those dreaded Monday morning blues. Our internal clocks naturally operate on a day that is longer than 24 hours. By the time Monday rolls around each week, we've built up a sleep deficit of at least an hour. Of course, the weekend revelries and facing another work week don't help matters. Here are some tips to make Monday mornings a little easier.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. If you can, sleep in an extra hour on Monday mornings. Going to bed early on Sunday night doesn't always help because most people will remain awake until their usual bedtime.
2. If you can't sleep in by a full hour (and most of us can't), take action Sunday night to shorten your morning preparation time so that you can set the alarm for 15 minutes later than usual. Wash your hair, pack lunches, lay out your outfit or pack your briefcase on Sunday night.
3. Hop out of bed the moment you wake up on Monday morning. Lingering in that downy comforter will only draw out the agony.
4. End your shower with a jolt of cold water to tear yourself out of your grogginess. Or exercise in the morning to get your blood pumping and to release those feel-good endorphins.
5. Get out in the sunlight. Bright light tells your body that it is indeed the morning and helps reset your internal clock.
6. Drink coffee or another caffeine beverage. Although it's not healthy to drink caffeine to the point of addiction, caffeine, when used in moderation, can give your Monday mornings that much-needed oomph and alertness.
7. Anticipate your Monday morning on Friday afternoon. Fight the temptation to race away from a messy desk. Clean up your desk and leave yourself a to-do list to make Monday morning a little more tolerable.

Tips & Warnings

• Take comfort in knowing that you are not alone in feeling miserable on Monday morning. There are millions of folks out there feeling the same way.
• If you are constantly feeling blue or depressed, seek psychiatric help. Ask your family doctor or a close friend to recommend a psychiatrist who is experienced in handling depression. Some universities offer psychiatric services at a reduced cost as a way to train psychiatric students and interns.