A tired young woman is sadly ill with depression (Photo: ShutterStock)
The term "Sunday looting" may have been born in the IDF, but there is no doubt that it accompanies most Israelis on the first day of the week. We all know how hard it is to get to work after a weekend that has passed too much, to open an email that is already too busy and to try to remove tasks from a list that is too long, too motivated.
The stress, fatigue and lack of motivation that accompany many of us on the first day of the week are naturally not an Israeli invention either. Overseas, it usually happens on a Monday, but the feeling is the same. Around the world, this concept is even known as "Monday Blues" and has been studied extensively over the years.
A lot of expectations at the beginning of the week
One study published in 2021 shows (you'll be surprised) that while some people are "immune" to these complex feelings at the beginning of the week, many others report higher levels of stress and anxiety every time the weekend is over. The current study also found, again not surprisingly, that these feelings are stronger among those who generally don't like their workplace.
One possible explanation for this prevalent feeling is the expectation that we are all more efficient, sociable, and active, even when dealing with feelings we don't often talk about. So, at the beginning of the week, we expect ourselves and also feel that society expects us to handle a lot of things at the same time, while the brain still has trouble readjusting to routine and "shifting gears" after rest on the weekend.
A tired woman in the office (Photo: ShutterStock)
Accusation is both exhausting and impairs efficiency
From this understanding, a trend has been born in recent years that has been dubbed "Lazy Monday" and in accordance with Israel you can call it loosely translated as "Calm Sunday" or any other creative name that comes to mind. Behind this trend is a pretty simple logic – instead of treating this first day as a terrible, stressful, overwhelming and busy day, you can make a conscious decision to do less with it – and invest more in ourselves and our mental health.
When we think about it deeply, especially on days when we feel stressed and busy, we often fail to focus and do anything - and end up investing more energy in worrying and less in doing. So, quite absurdly, the to-do list only grows, while feelings like shame, guilt, anxiety, and anger only intensify.
Precisely when you make a conscious decision to take this day at Izzy, because we know in advance that it will be demanding and busy, it allows for a greater degree of relaxation, which will really help recharge your batteries and start the week in a healthy and beneficial way. If, for example, you work on your easiest tasks on Sundays, talk to people you have fun with, eat something you really like, and plan fun activities after work, we can bet pretty confidently that this will help recharge your batteries for the week and also get rid of the guilt that accompanies so many people who can't get started at the beginning of the week.
And if you are one of those who do not have a problem with Sundays, but feel that every week you experience significant challenges on a different day, then you will make a conscious decision that on this particular day you will allow yourself to do less and enjoy more. In general, countless studies conducted in many fields over the years show that the more people "fight" themselves, their emotions, and their challenges, the more powerful all these negative things become.
The more we learn to let go, even and especially when it is more difficult and complex, the more forgiving and positive we can develop towards ourselves over time – and this attitude will help much more than the guilt and shame that accompany many of us all the time. This approval to do nothing, which we consciously give ourselves, is an important first step in a new way that will affect not only work, but also health, relationships and almost every other aspect of life.
- health
- Live Right
Tags
- depression