It took me sometime to write this and trust me when I say I’m writing this from a first hand experience. The work week and even your weekends are essential to your well being. The choices you make in each of those 7 days influence how your week goes, which influences how your month goes, which influences how your year goes, and so on. There are 7 ways of the week that can lead you to emotionally and mentally draining yourself for a lifetime if you do not actively make the decision to change them. Discontent, bad attitudes, poor nutrition and physical wellness, lack of motivation, distraction, anticipation, and hustle and bustle will all lead to your mental and emotional death.

Sunday-You’re already dreading your week
Discontent is one of the biggest mental killers. Your attitude and perception on life is what fuels your week. If on Sunday evening as you think about your upcoming work week you already dreading the tasks of the week, you have already taken the first step into having a “bad” week. Being discontent is a sign of being emotionally and/or mentally drained. The first warning sign of the drainage is constant and consistent complaining about the work you have to do this week. Pay attention to the words you are using Sunday night. Are you saying “I’m so excited to see my new client tomorrow” or “God I hate Mondays?”

The statements of discontent shape your views for the week. You will have a horrible Monday because the you’ve already decided to. How can you change your view of discontent? It can be as easy as changing your mind on how your day will go or a more difficult tasks, as finding a new job or something that brings you more joy than your current situation. Only you will know what you need to break the cycle of discontentment.

Monday- You walked in with an attitude
Your attitude for your work week was set on Sunday evening, but Monday morning you have the choice to decide if you are going to go through the week with a good or bad attitude. Going through your day with a bad attitude can lead to unhappy clients or customers, bosses or employees who will feed off of your attitude, and other people you may come into contact with throughout the week will get the vibes of your attitude.

Each day set your intention to have a positive attitude, even on a rough day. It will make a difference on how your week actually goes. I’ll share an example from my day today. Today I went into work and decided I was going to have a good day. All went well until 2pm when I got a parking ticket, then locked my keys in my car when I was going to pay it. I easily could have been angry and upset, but I decided to keep the good attitude I intended for myself, and once I got back into my car I let that situation go. I had set my intention for the day and I stuck to it. I didn’t allow myself to get wrapped up in negativity, because in the long run it wasn’t worth it. Once you set your intention for the week you have to stay committed and actively decide in each moment of your day that you will not let the events of the day change your attitude.

Tuesday- Where’s the coffee
Lack of sleep, nutritious food, and exercise can lead to a week of disdain. How you are treating your body will lead to how your mind and body co-exist throughout the week. Are you feeling tired before you even get your work day started? Are you on a third or fourth cup of coffee before 10am everyday? Your body is telling you that you are mistreating it and your mind is probably having difficulties staying alert due to this. Your body will tell you what it needs and that lack of energy is one of the biggest signs your body can send you.

Be aware of the signs your body is giving you and respond to them effectively. If you are having more cups of coffee per day than you have hours of sleep, you probably have programmed your body to expect the coffee which in turn keeps you up at night. Maybe decreasing a cup or two of coffee and adding an hour or two more of sleep will help your body be more effective throughout the day. Make a daily routine that includes some type of physical activity and a healthy diet will also provide you with natural energy to get through your days. Taking care of your body is essential to your mental and emotional health because it is all intertwined to make you the best that you can be.

Wednesday- Where is Friday?
You were discontent on Sunday, had an attitude Monday, was tired and hungry on Tuesday, and now it is Wednesday, better known to most as Hump Day. Wednesday is an important day because you are halfway through your week. Most of us get to Wednesday and all we can think about is Friday and how much you will enjoy the end of the week. We focus so much on the end of the week, we lose perspective of the work that still needs to be done in our week. This lack of motivation can be difficult to overcome. Hump Day let’s our mind drift to the end of the weekend and all of our plans for the weekend to come. We are daydreaming through the next 3 days of work, until we reach a point we realize we haven’t actually done any work at all through the day. It can be difficult to be motivated through Wednesday.

Wednesday is not the end of the week, yet it’s the day we usually stop giving our all (if we were ever giving our all), but it is necessary to find the motivation to do good and efficient work. The motivation you have in the workplace on can reflect on your motivation in life. If you are not doing your best work at work, where are you allowing that energy to flow? Finding motivation when it is the hardest to do will be useful for your future endeavors and reaching your goals, practicing it now will only build your ability to stay motivated through difficult circumstances in the future.

Thursday- Distracted Much?
If you were distracted by the idea of the weekend on Wednesday, by Thursday you are probably totally disengaged from the work week and the idea of accomplishing tasks, especially if you are in a job or position that you are intrinsically unhappy with. Distractions are come much easier at this point in the week and your ability to focus even on the simplest tasks becomes more difficult if you haven’t been taking care of your body throughout the week also.

Thursdays are a good day to practice techniques that will help you gain focus. It is a challenging day in the week because you are so close to the end but still have things you need to accomplish at work. Practicing yoga or meditation is a helpful way to learn to channel your focus throughout your day. Maybe it’s not that you are completely distracted from your work, but possibly just overwhelmed with what all needs to be done. Learning to use mindfulness techniques to assist you in focusing on one tasks at a time can be useful for days like this. Giving yourself a skill set around your ability to focus will be useful as you grow in your career and your work, and will help you be the most inefficient you can be throughout all of your days.

Friday- Oh TGIF!
It’s finally here, the day you have been day dreaming about since at least Wednesday. Your work is finished (or at least you are finished working), and you have rushed out of the office to enjoy your weekend. You are going to hang out with your friends for happy hour or maybe meeting your significant other for dinner. You’ve rushed the week by and have landed on the beginning of the weekend.

Friday’s are meant to be enjoyed but there is no need to rush through your entire week for it. Having patience and taking the time to enjoy your days, no matter how busy and hectic they may be is important. Each day you have is one that will not return so practice not allowing yourself to spend all week waiting for Friday, and joy the days that come before it as well.

Saturday- Turn Down For What?
Friday has come and gone and now it is Saturday, a day full of shopping, soccer games, hanging out with friends and family, and many other things to keep your day “off”, very busy. You do a lot of errands on Saturday and on Saturday night you want to enjoy your evening so you make plans to do something fun.

At this point in the week you have looked forward to your day “off” so much you probably haven’t really considered actually making it a day off, a day to reboot and recover from your hectic week. Sometimes a day of self-care and relaxation is needed in place of the very busy day aka the “turn up” that Saturday generally brings. Consider planning at least one Saturday a month to use as a day of rest and relaxation. Many of us spend the whole week focusing on work and others that we miss vital opportunities for self-care. It is not selfish to take a day to yourself, but it can be very necessary for your overall well being.

You have a choice at the beginning of each day to decide on how you will treat yourself. Will you treat your mind, body and spirit with kindness and practice ways of satisfaction, better attitudes, nutrition and sleep, focus, and self-care or will you allow yourself to be in a place of discontent, bad attitudes, poor nutrition and physical wellness, lack of motivation, and distraction, anticipation, and hustle and bustle? It is your choice and a choice you have to consciously make each day.

What signs would you add?

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[contributor, Latisha]