The new wellbeing trend #BareMinimumMondays appears to be taking off as a work hack for those experiencing anxiety at the start of their week. The term was recently coined by a TikToker, Marisa Jo, who announced that by “completing the least amount of work necessary to get by that day” she found she could better ease herself into her week.
Monday morning blues is nothing new, in fact references can be found in 1830s American literature of those starting the week with a depressed state of mind. HR organisations, Breathe and Hays have conducted extensive research into the most productive days of the working week, which perhaps unsurprisingly come out as Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. These are proving the most popular days for those working a Hybrid week to physically come into the office. They are also the most favourable for those trialling 4-Day weeks.
Many are calling the #BareMinimumMondays trend a potential crisis for organisational productivity.
However, it is only a crisis if we ignore the burnout going on behind this behaviour. Digital connection combined with the stay at home requirement of recent lockdowns has meant that many have been constantly connected to their work 24/7 and forgotten to put the boundaries back.
If you are barely there on a Monday, get curious about what is behind that feeling of fatigue, anxiety, overwhelm or depression (or however else you are experiencing the start of the week).
- What does that feeling want you to acknowledge?
- Imagine it was a friend trying to give you the heads up about something. What would it look like if you were to describe it to someone as a cartoon character?
- What would it sound like?
- What would it be saying to you?
- What does it need from you?
It may be that going slow on a Monday is exactly what is needed in order to resource yourself for the rest of the days of the week that follow. It may be something else entirely… you’ll only find out though, if you get curious and listen to what’s behind that feeling arising from within you… it’s on your side, it’s not against you.
#hr#wellbeing#productivity#mondaymood#bareminimummondays#hybridworking#4dayworkweek#mondayblues#burnout#anxiety#depression
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