Beep – beep! Your alarm clock has just woken you from a sweetest dream. You open your eyes and suddenly feel more miserable than ever. The world around is grey and cold and you are tired and cross. It almost makes you cry. What is the matter? It’s Monday morning of course.
Biology and psychology
Why do Monday mornings make us feel so depressed?
Well, at weekends we usually get up and go to bed later than usual. That’s why our body doesn’t understand why we should get up so early on Monday. What is more, our biological clocks are set on a day which is longer than 24 hours. It means that we naturally feel we need more sleep on Monday morning.
Another reason is psychological. On Saturday and Sunday we relax and enjoy ourselves. Then when Monday comes with all the stress and duties of another week, we feel uneasy.
Good tips
There are several things we can do to fight Monday morning blues.
- If possible, try to get up a little bit later. Even 15 minutes may do you good.
- It is a good idea to get things ready on Sunday evening. Looking for books, socks and clean underwear makes our Monday morning even more stressful.
- Pull up the blinds to let the sunshine in. The more light we get, the more positive we feel. It is also a good idea to open the window. Fresh air helps us to feel less sleepy.
- You should have something to eat and drink. An empty stomach may make you feel even more nervous.
- Try to find something to look forward to. A nice chat with friends at school or a football match in the afternoon perhaps. When you think about positive things, you will feel better too.
And above all, don’t worry – Saturday is only four days ahead. Good morning, everybody!
Stop to think:
- Make a list of all the adjectives used in the article. Choose those that describe your feelings on Monday mornings.
- What do you do to fight Monday morning blues?
- What else can people do to feel better on Monday morning (e.g. listen to their favourite music, etc.)?
Reading exercise
Complete the following sentences, using the information from the text.
- On Saturday and ___________ we usually get up and go to bed later.
- It is __________ for us to feel that we need more sleep on Monday morning.
- If possible, we shouldn’t get up as ___________ as usual on Monday.
- An empty stomach isn’t a good idea. We shouldn’t forget about __________ and drink in the morning.
- Let the sunshine in. You can’t feel positive if your room is _____________ .
(Sunday, natural, early, food, dark)