How to overcome your Monday blues?
The secret sick day.
Maybe you can relate to this?…Wondering if you should call in sick on Monday.
Sunday night, I could feel the knots in my stomach. I could feel the tightness in my chest, it started becoming hard to breathe. I felt it slowly coming: shallow breathing, heart pounding and a stiff neck. This was my indication that the weekend was over…Monday was coming.
I used to struggle every week with debilitating migraines, muscle spasms and stomach pains. This went on for weeks, months, years. I felt worried, overwhelmed all the time and life was feeling like I was serving a sentence. I knew what I was doing was not for me, but I didn’t know how to change it. I was living in a painful prison physically and emotionally. I hated it. People would say, be thankful you have a job. Be thankful…for that? Can you relate?
I always looked forward to Fridays and Saturdays and melted into the bed on Sundays. What kind of life is living for just 2 days of the week?
Have you ever felt guilty for not “being grateful” for your current situation? Did this make you feel like you shouldn’t be trying to pursue more.
I didn’t care what anybody said, there was no reason for me to wake up every Monday morning, feeling doomed and praying just to make it through one more day. I thought, "This is not the life God promised me." I was sick, really physically sick. No one really knew. I was able to get through the day, with a smile, appearing energetic and full of enthusiasm.
It was time to get help. I wanted the promise: His plans are to prosper me, not to harm me, plans for hope and a future. (bible reference)
Talk to your doctor
I first sought the assistance of my primary care physician, who referred me for testing and to various specialists. I even went through physical therapy, because I would wake up completely sick, unable to lift myself out of bed or turn my head.
After a battery of tests and all negative results, my primary care physician sat me down, looked me in the eyes and said “Seneca, what is stressing you out?” He told me, that I was experiencing severe tension headaches. The nerves in my neck were pulling so tight, it created intense headaches, it froze my body. He said, "Whoever or whatever is toxic, is bothering you, you need to get over it." It was a physical exam and therapy session all in one! My career was making me feel “anxious….depressed”.
When emotions become physical pain
I didn’t associate this physical pain to emotional distress with my job, or the way my life was going, or relationships with the people in my life until my doctor and physical therapist highlighted this for me. It’s ironic, because I should, right? I am a therapist. I was in denial and needed another professional to set me straight.
I knew if I did not do something about my current state immediately, I would lose my mind!
I couldn’t quit my job on the spot, Lord knows I wanted to. Everything was telling me to get help. My body was telling me, I was imploding from the buildup of holding it together for too long without a release.
The anecdote for Monday blues!
If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life !
What did I do?
I lost my mindset.
When I lost my mindset, I lost my negative, self-defeating, useless thoughts!
I didn’t want to stay at that career, in that job; it was temporary.
Do you ever feel like you are meant for more, but you’re afraid you’ll fail?
I was getting so stressed out, doing so much harm to my health. When you are engaged in toxic work environments with toxic co-workers, you need to let that go and find out what career and business you are called to do.
When I lost my mindset, I gained the world. Losing your mindset takes practice, it takes time, and it takes commitment.
“I had to rewire my thinking, worked on my mindset. I had to change what I believed, what I was taught,what others expected and what people tried to impose on me. ”
I stopped taking the prescription migraine medication, I quit physical therapy and started going to the gym, I ate healthier, I had more fun. (Side note, I started looking better.) I started asking, "Will this matter in 5 years?" I started processing what I really wanted.
I took this mental process to my journal, started setting some new goals, this time I got clear.
“I was going to heal and I was going to love my life. I set an intention to ‘Love Monday!’ No matter what.”
What do you need to change?
What’s your ideal career/business? WHY?
What things are you tolerating? What can you do more of, less of, stop doing?
How do you need to think differently?
Who do you need to become to achieve your goals?
When I lost my mindset, I started making a lot of changes.
I no longer cared so much about other people’s opinions of me.
I no longer compared myself to what others are doing or what they appear to have.
I no longer held on to things that do not serve my spirit or my purpose.
I learned to say No, more often.
I learned to listen to ME more often.
I learned to love me more.
I challenged myself to try something new.
I challenged myself to live life, like it was an adventure.
I challenged myself to trust in my Higher Power to guide and protect me.
Mondays are no longer blue
The funny thing is, when July 4th fell on a Monday and Memorial Weekend was coming, Monday was not an issue. I looked forward to those three-day weekends, when the holiday fell on a Monday. I guess, the problem was never Monday, it was my mindset.
When you finally starting building a career and business that you love, that is aligned with your calling, Mondays will become exciting. Mondays will be a fresh start, a new opportunity, a new adventure. Honestly, Mondays will motivate you.
I haven’t had a migraine, muscle spasm, stiff neck or back problem in almost 10 years. I have been able to remain consistent with my changes. I no longer live for Fridays and no longer have an issue working on Saturday. When I lost my mindset, life changed drastically.
If you’re ready to overcome Monday blues you’ll have to figure out, how to go after what you love with the confidence, you will achieve it.
About The Author:
Seneca Williams, LMHC (Ask Coach Sen) is "The Entrepreneurs’ Therapist". She is an online therapist, speaker and international coach for entrepreneurs, ready to breakthrough business anxiety & beat business burnout so they can build businesses that match and replace their 9-5 income. The mission is to provide a mental health positive community, for women entrepreneurs, to cultivate "mental wealth" & conquer their business!
Photo Credits: pixabay; pexels