Mondays...and Mondays Always Get Me Down

The silicon chip inside her head
Gets switched to overload.
And nobody's gonna go to school today,
She's going to make them stay at home.
And daddy doesn't understand it,
He always said she was as good as gold.
And he can see no reason
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?

Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
I want to shoot
The whole day down.
-Excerpt to Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays"
from the album "Fine Art of Surfacing" (1979)

It's a Monday. Again.

It is my least favorite M word. As far back as gradeschool years, Monday has been a cause of much stress and anxiety. Obviously much of the reason is psychological. But much of my unhappiness in a week is really caused by the dread of what to and what not to expect on a Monday morning. As a kid, I remember staring at the late afternoon Sunday sky, watching the colors turn from a bright blue to a reddish orange, then to a deep purple. As the colors changed my heart sank deeper and deeper by the realization that the day was drawing to a close and within the next hours it would once again be a Monday. So I'd fight it as much as I could by trying to stay awake most of the night, trying to lengthen the Sunday hours. Of course, this made no sense because when I did manage to fall asleep, I'd wake up feeling more tired and worse than ever on a Monday morning.

Been contemplating on why I feel this way about Mondays and so far here's what I came up with:
1. I didn't have enough of Saturday or Sunday. Most likely I was bugged by a client over the weekend to do some last minute work and I am in denial that Monday is just around the bend.
2. I had too much of Saturday and Sunday and I want more of it.
3. The fear of the unknown.
4. It reminds me that I have 4 more days to endure to get to Saturday.
5. If not carefully spent well, a Monday may make or break my week.
6. Simply put, Mondays = Work = Stress = Pissed = Unhappy.

I know a lot of people who feel the exact same way, so I know I'm nobody special. Garfield alone has grumbled "I Hate Mondays!" once to many times in his comic strips. And the ever sweetie Ziggy has grace in several Hallmarks cards with a cloudy balloon over his head reading "I Hate Mondays" on it. Made me wonder what made Monday-bashing an international issue. Surprisingly I came across a few articles that talked about why people all over the world dislike Mondays:

FROM FREE PUBLIC.COM


I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS (It's Official: Monday Mornings Can Kill You)
Monday January 31, 2005
Posted on 02/07/2005 6:32:48 AM PST by presidio9

It's not just your imagination - Monday mornings can really kill you!

Scientists have discovered that people's blood pressure is higher on the first day of the week than on any other day.

New research may explain why the number of people suffering heart attacks and strokes rises on a Monday.

Hypertension - or high blood pressure - puts strain on the heart so leads to life-threatening illnesses in some patients.

Researchers in Japan measured the blood pressure of 175 volunteers throughout a week and the results suggest that after a relatively relaxing weekend people's blood pressure shoots up on a Monday morning.

Dr Shuogo Murakami, who led the research, said: "Most people are free of the mental and physical burdens of work on a Sunday and eperience a more stressful change from weekend leisure activities to work activities on a Monday.

"There was a distinct peak on Mondays in the study."

People with hypertension are usually treated with medication but can also be helped by changing diet and exercise.

Yet heart disease remains the UK's biggest cause of death - 270,000 people suffer a heart attack each year.

When blood pressure rises the lining of the coronary arteries are likely to be put under stress and this may lead to clogging with fatty deposits causing a narrowing in places.

FROM THE AGE.COM.AU

WHY WE REALLY DON'T LIKE MONDAYS
June 27, 2005

Monday is the day people are most likely to be injured at work, a report shows.

CGU Insurance has found workplace injuries are 20 per cent more common on Mondays than on Fridays.

The research showed that after Monday, the risk of being injured decreased and Friday was the safest working day.

The study revealed:

· The rate of workplace injuries dropped steadily throughout the working week.

· Sprains and strains were the most common workplace injuries.

· The lower back was the most common body part to be injured.

· Workplace injuries are 20 per cent more common on Mondays than on Fridays.

A safety spokeswoman for CGU in Melbourne, Kristine Haseldine, said Monday was often regarded as the least favourite day, possibly because it was the day when most accidents happened.

"This research suggests that many people find it difficult to make the transition from the relaxation and enjoyment of their weekends to starting the working week," she said.

"Lack of sleep over the weekend and the effects of alcohol and other drugs may be contributing factors to the increased incidence of workplace accidents on Mondays."

Ms Haseldine said many people started new jobs on Mondays and might not be familiar with the work environment.

"And given that the majority of public holidays occur on a Monday, if all things were equal Monday should have fewer workplace injuries than other days of the week. Instead, the rate is 20 per cent higher," she said.

Ms Haseldine said workers should identify hazards and put risk controls in place to prevent injuries.

"Employers have a legal obligation to ensure the health and safety of their employees and they should make sure new employees are aware of hazards involved in the job," she said.

"Immediate induction for employees, especially those using machinery, tools or involved in physical activity, is crucial to workplace safety."

- AAP

After reading these I realized that there has to be a break between a Sunday and a Monday! The abrupt change from a day being extremely relaxed and happy to being stressed and tired can be dangerous to one's emotional and physical health. There has to be a transition from happy to bored and restless to wanting to go back to work! It should be seamless, gradual and subtle. If this were thought of carefully by people who decided that Sunday is a rest / leisure day and Monday is work day, then there would be fewer unhappy working people in the world!

JUST THINK ABOUT IT! Then Mondays wouldn't be that bad after all.

Ok, it's lunchtime. Time to give this crazy lady a break.