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How to rewire your brain to feel good on Monday

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cristina-r-reschke-1413051">Cristina R. Reschke</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rcsi-university-of-medicine-and-health-sciences-788">RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jolanta-burke-315263">Jolanta Burke</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rcsi-university-of-medicine-and-health-sciences-788">RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences</a> If you hate Mondays, you’re most certainly in good company. After a couple of days off, many of us have difficulty settling back into our routines and work duties. You may even have dread and anxiety that seeps into the weekend in the form of “<a href="https://theconversation.com/three-ways-to-tackle-the-sunday-scaries-the-anxiety-and-dread-many-people-feel-at-the-end-of-the-weekend-187313">Sunday scaries</a>”. You can’t always change your schedule or obligations to make Mondays more appealing, but you may be able to “reprogram” your brain to think about the week differently. Our brains love predictability and routine. Research has shown that lack of routine is associated with <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0003122418823184">decline in wellbeing and psychological distress</a>. Even though the weekend heralds a leisurely and pleasant time, our brain works hard to adjust to this sudden change to a routine. The good news is that the brain does not need to make too much effort when adjusting to the weekend’s freedom and lack of routine. However, it’s a different story when coming back to the less pleasant activities, such as a to-do list on Monday morning. One way to adjust to post-weekend change is introducing routines that last the whole week and have the power to make our lives <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0146167218795133">more meaningful</a>. These may include <a href="https://portal.research.lu.se/en/publications/routines-made-and-unmade">watching your favourite TV programme, gardening</a> or going <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22976286/">to the gym</a>. It is helpful to do these things at the same time every day. Routines improve our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16448317/">sense of coherence</a>, a process that allows us to make sense of the jigsaw of life events. When we have an established routine, be it the routine of working five days and taking two days off or engaging in a set of actions every day, our lives become <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0146167218795133">more meaningful</a>. Another important routine to establish is your sleep routine. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-021-00400-z">Research shows</a> that keeping consistent sleep time may be as important for enjoying Mondays as how long your sleep lasts or its quality. Changes in sleep patterns during weekends trigger <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/12/4543">social jetlag</a>. For instance, sleeping in later than usual and for longer on free days may trigger a discrepancy between your body clock and socially-imposed responsibilities. This is linked to higher stress levels on Monday morning. Try to keep a set time for going to bed and waking up, avoid naps. You might also want to create a 30 minute “wind-down” routine before sleep, by turning off or putting away your digital devices and practising relaxation techniques. <h2>Hacking your hormones</h2> Hormones can also play a role in how we feel about Mondays. For instance, cortisol is a very important multifunction hormone. It helps our bodies to control our metabolism, regulate our sleep-wake cycle and our response to stress, among other things. It is usually released about an hour before we wake up (it helps us feel awake) and then its levels lower until the next morning, unless we’re under stress. Under acute stress, our bodies release not only cortisol, but also adrenaline in preparation for fight or flight. This is when the heart beats fast, we get sweaty palms and may react impulsively. This is our amygdala (a small almond-shaped area in the base of our brains) hijacking our brains. It creates a super fast emotional response to stress even before our brains can process and think whether it was needed. But as soon we can think – activating the brain’s prefrontal cortex, the area for our reason and executive thinking – this response will be mitigated, if there is no real threat. It is a constant battle between our emotions and reason. This might wake us up in the middle of the night when we’re too stressed or anxious. It shouldn’t be surprising then that cortisol levels, measured in saliva samples of full-time working individuals, tend to be higher on Mondays and Tuesdays, with the lowest levels reported on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2824866/">Sundays</a>. As a stress hormone, cortisol fluctuates daily, but not consistently. On weekdays, as soon as we wake up, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-18151-008">cortisol levels soar</a> and variations tend to be higher than on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11324714/">weekends</a>. To combat this, we need to trick the amygdala by training the brain to only recognise actual threats. In other words, we need to activate our prefrontal cortex as fast as possible. One of the best ways to achieve this and lower overall stress is through relaxation activities, especially on Mondays. One possibility is mindfulness, which is associated with a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23724462/">reduction in cortisol</a>. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722/full">Spending time in nature</a> is another method – going outside first thing on Monday or even during your lunch hour can make a significant difference to how you perceive the beginning of the week. Give yourself time before checking your phone, social media and the news. It’s good to wait for cortisol peak to decrease naturally, which happens approximately one hour after waking up, before you expose yourself to external stressors. By following these simple tips, you can train your brain to believe that the weekdays can be (nearly) as good as the weekend.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199236/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cristina-r-reschke-1413051">Cristina R. Reschke</a>, Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences & Funded Investigator in the FutureNeuro Research Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rcsi-university-of-medicine-and-health-sciences-788">RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jolanta-burke-315263">Jolanta Burke</a>, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Positive Health Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rcsi-university-of-medicine-and-health-sciences-788">RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-rewire-your-brain-to-feel-good-on-mondays-199236">original article</a>.

Mind

Why you should throw out five things every Monday

Throw out five things Organising your entire house in one fell swoop might be overwhelming, but vowing to toss or put away just five objects will seem much more doable. Once you look for expired foods, old receipts, junk mail, dirty socks, and other useless items, it won’t take long to gather all five and be well on your way to a de-cluttered home. Do a once-over The biggest thing you could do every week is to quickly take an assessment on the inside and outside of your house and determine what you need to add to your schedule. Do you notice any scuffed paint? Unruly hedges? Once you know what projects you’ll need to tackle, plan out which ones you’ll realistically have time for this week. Deciding ahead of time will make you less overwhelmed when chore time rolls around. Clean your exhaust hood vent Most homeowners are already good about wiping down their stovetop on at least a weekly basis, but don’t stop there. Remove the overhead vent and give it a rinse to remove the grease and food residue build-up. Not only can it prevent fire, your food might taste better, too. Clear out your "drop zone" Most homes have one or more areas where clutter builds up, whether it’s mail collecting on the kitchen table or a pile of clothes heaped on a bedroom chair. While it’s better to contain the clutter than to let it spill all over the house, that build-up can get overwhelming. To keep clutter to a minimum, take a moment each week to ‘sweep’ surfaces in at least one room. Take a trip around the room and remove easy-to-grab clutter from tabletops and shelves. Once the objects are out of the way, wipe down to keep those areas clean and tidy. Vacuum Of course, you know you need to vacuum when you start seeing pet dander and dirt building up, but that’s not the only reason you should clean your floors. Not only are you moving dust and dirt from the floors, but you’re protecting your filters. If you aren’t changing your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning filters or vacuuming the floors frequently enough, pet hair and other particles can build up and take a toll on the system. Water your plants A dried-up houseplant is a sorry sight. By committing one day a week to checking your plants, even homeowners without a green thumb can keep houseplants healthy. See if your plants are thirsty, and pick up any fallen leaves from the soil. Mow the lawn You’re able to put it off in the winter, but pulling out the lawnmower every week in the warmer months will keep your yard from getting unruly. Plus, it’s better for your equipment. The long grass could get caught in the blades, making the task more difficult than it would have been if you kept up with maintenance. Change your bath towels Even if you don’t have time to scrub your bathtub, sink, toilet, and floor every week, make sure you at least tackle the dirty towels. Replace any dirty towels with new ones, and make sure the clean ones are folded or hung nicely in place. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/home-tips/why-you-should-throw-out-five-things-every-monday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Home & Garden

7 things you should always do on a Monday

Start a diet No matter how tired you are on a Monday morning, you’ve got to admit, the first day of the week provides a refreshing opportunity to start anew. That feeling is particularly helpful when it comes to starting a diet, according to a University of Pennsylvania report. “On certain days, called temporal landmarks, you have a different view of yourself,” said Jason Riis, co-author of the report. “You become more forward-looking.” The trick is in not tiring of your new plan by Wednesday. And if you do fall off the wagon, don’t wait until the following Monday to restart. Jump back in the next morning. Gossip with co-workers The Monday blues are real, and scientists guess that one reason we get them might date back to our caveman days. “Humans are social animals, and to feel happy we need to feel comfortable in our place in a ‘tribe,’ so to speak,” writes Mental Floss. “Even after just two days away, according to scientists, we need to make sure our place in our work environment is secure. Gossiping with your co-workers is an important part of gearing up for the work week, and if you don’t do this, you might feel out of sorts.” It’s an interesting idea, and at the very least, you’ll value the catch-up time. Wash your hands For one reason or another, Mondays are the most common day of the week for calling in sick. In fact, according to one British study, more than a third of all sick days take place on the first day of the week. It’s hard to say whether that’s because Monday is truly the day you’re most likely to fall ill, or because a stunning number of folk want a three-day weekend. Whatever it is, we’ll leave you with this advice: on Mondays – and every day – wash your hands. Head to the gym For similar reasons that Monday is a great day to start a new diet, it’s also the perfect opportunity to hit your goals at the gym (or pool). One Jawbone report found Monday is the most popular day of the week for gym-goers. And while that might mean you have to wait in line for the best machines, it also means you’ll start your week on a healthy footing. We can’t argue with that. Schedule surgery Researchers already know that the morning is the safest time of day to go under the knife. It’s when hospital staffs are most alert and least likely to make a mistake. That same earlier-is-better approach applies to days of the week as well. The risk of death after undergoing a non-emergency surgery is lowest on Monday and goes up every day of the week thereafter, according to a report in the British Medical Journal. But don’t freak if your surgeon only has spots on Thursday. The increase is a mere fraction of a percent – from 1% on Monday to 1.44% on Friday. Invest in the stock market If you’ve invested in the stock market, you already know that the key is to buy low and sell high. And it turns out, because of a slew of market factors, stocks have a tendency to drop on Mondays. That’s bad if you plan to sell, but if you’re in the market to add to your portfolio, you may just snag a bargain. Make the ultimate to-do list When it comes to goal setting, what better day of the week to lay things out than Monday? Research published in Psychological Science suggests that we may be more likely to follow through with our professional goals if we start on a Monday rather than a Thursday. And while there are a ton of ways to make the perfect to-do list, we like this goal-setting idea from Peter Gasca: “I make it a point to set one new and aggressive personal goal for the week, such as trying a new exercise, reading a book, or learning a new song on the guitar,” he writes on Inc. “The point is to provide you motivation during your busy week to pursue an interest that you enjoy outside of work.” Written by Juliana LaBianca. This article first appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/tips/7-things-you-should-always-do-on-a-monday" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.com.au/subscribe">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.

Body

Why January 15 is the worst day of the year

If you are feeling a bit down in the dumps this morning, it turns out you are not alone. First conceptualised in Britain and dubbed “Blue Monday”, January 15 is supposedly the most depressing day of the year. A combination of factors has led people to make this assumption about the third Monday of the year, which includes many people going back to work after the Christmas period and people’s reckless holiday spending finally catching up to them. Dr Cliff Arnall, a lecturer and “freelance happiness guru” even drew up a calculation to prove why many might not be feeling the best today. The calculation is: [W + (D-d)] x Tq ÷ [M x Na]. The ‘W’ stands for weather, ‘D’ for debt and ‘d’ stands for monthly salary. ‘T’ is the time since Christmas, ‘q’ the period since we’ve broken our New Year’s resolutions and ‘M’ refers to motivational level. ‘Na’ is the feeling of a need to take action. The general idea of Blue Monday is that everyone is waning from the inspiration of the New Year. But before you let this concept slow you down today, Blue Monday was actually coined as a marketing ruse. The original research was paid for by a travel agent in the hopes of encouraging people to beat Blue Monday by booking a holiday, preferably though them. University of East London academic Jolenta Burke has discredited the concept and insisted that people only feel blue on Blue Monday due to a self-fulfilling prophecy. “When we hold some expectations about an event, people, or ourselves, we start behaving in a way that matches our expectations. “For example, thinking it is the most depressing day of the year, we might start paying more attention to the negative events around us — the boss who doesn’t listen to our good advice, or the partner who isn’t doing enough around the house,” Ms Burke wrote in <a href="https://theconversation.com/blue-monday-is-a-hoax-but-it-could-become-the-most-depressing-day-of-the-year-if-you-dont-watch-out-89988" target="_blank">The Conversation.</a> “While there is no scientific evidence of Blue Monday on the third Monday of January — or any other Monday in a year — research shows us that, unsurprisingly, our mood is significantly better on Fridays and over the weekend in general,” she said. Ms Burke said we need to choose to see the positive things around us and not let the post-Christmas period impact our mood. “Since Blue Monday is a hoax that may affect our thinking and emotions so much, let’s turn it into Happy Monday and reap the benefits.” “Instead of searching for all that is going badly on the day, be mindful of all the good things that happen around you — that woman who held the bus door to prevent it from closing, the old lady who smiled at you for no reason or the little boy who gave you a big hug.” What do you do to stay positive throughout the day? Share your tips in the comments below.

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How to rewire your brain to feel good on Monday

Why you should throw out five things every Monday

7 things you should always do on a Monday

Why January 15 is the worst day of the year