The Monday Morning Question
Yesterday morning in my local coffee shop, I witnessed something that stopped me in my tracks.
Saturday crowd: People lingering over conversations, genuinely laughing, savouring their coffee.
Monday crowd: Heads buried in phones, rushed orders, that unmistakable weight of dread.
Same people. Same space. Completely different energy.
It hit me: what if the chasm between our weekend selves and Monday selves didn't have to exist? 🤔
Here's what most workplace wellbeing advice gets wrong - it treats Monday morning dread as a mindset problem. "Just think positive!" "Practice gratitude!"
But through 20 years in mental health and workplace wellbeing, I've learned it's actually a design problem.
The gap isn't in our attitude. It's in how we transition between our personal and professional identities.
When we create smoother bridges between who we are on weekends and who we need to be at work, something remarkable happens. People don't just tolerate Mondays - they genuinely anticipate them.
Not through toxic positivity or pretending work stress doesn't exist. Through practical strategies that honour both our human needs and professional responsibilities.
I'm developing something that explores exactly this intersection - where authentic wellbeing meets real work life. Evidence-based, not feel-good platitudes.
Question for you: What's one element from your weekend self that you wish you could bring into Monday morning?