Blog

Best therapist Frisco Texas

Bare Minimum Mondays: A Burnout Prevention Tool

September 25, 2023

Bare minimum Mondays are trending, and for good reason. The concept of a bare minimum Monday originated from a viral TikTok created by Marisa Jo Mayes. Essentially, A bare minimum Monday means doing only what is required of you, and nothing more, on Mondays to reduce feelings of burnout later on in the week. It is about setting boundaries with work and school to protect your mental health. 

Juggling work, school, family, social-life, getting moderate exercise, eating a well-balanced diet, and having time for self-care can feel almost impossible to manage. According to a recent survey conducted by LinkedIn, 80% of participants reported that they experience the “Sunday Scaries.” This echoes the sentiments I hear from my clients on a daily basis who are struggling to achieve a work-life balance. 

Bare minimum Mondays could also be a great exercise in relinquishing harmful perfectionistic tendencies. We don’t need to do everything perfectly all at once all the time. We can just do what is needed. My question for you is what can you afford to take off of your plate this Monday? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Prioritize your schedule. Consider which tasks are the most important to you. Make a short list of the tasks that are essential for the day.

Practice saying no. Saying no is hard, but it is an important skill to protect your emotional wellbeing. Politely decline any extra tasks whenever you feel like you are overcommitting.

Set defined hours. Establish clear limits for when you will be starting and finishing your work. Then stick to those set hours.

Delegate whenever possible. Collaborate with others so that all of the work doesn’t fall on you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help to lessen the load.

Schedule time for self-care. When you do finally get a moment to yourself leave your work behind you. Engage in activities that are good for your personal development and happiness like meditation, exercise, and hobbies. 

It is important to protect your energy. You may be afraid that having a bare minimum Monday will result in a backlog. However, continuously hustling will slowly deteriorate your motivation and productivity in the long-run. So, in closing take it easy today so that you can continue to show up tomorrow and the next day.