How to Kick a Case of the Mondays

How many of you laughed at the infamous line, "Somebody's got a case of the Mondays!" from the ever loveable film "Office Space"? (If you haven't seen it, you should. It's the picture perfect image of a dissatisfied employee that takes hating his job to a whole new level!) Chances are, the minute she said it you knew just what she was talking about. We all get a case of the Mondays every once in a while, that grumpy, irritable, I-don't-want-to-be-here-and-the-weekend-was-too-short, bluesy feeling that makes productivity virtually impossible and job satisfaction a thing of the past.

For the next 24 hours, anyway!

Since a rotten Monday tends to pave the way to a rotten week all the way around (believe me, I know!) it's important to find a way to kick those Monday blues to the curb before they have a chance to really grab hold and drag you down. After all, your patients are waiting-and chances are good they're in an even more rotten mood than you are! The next time you find your feet dragging on a Monday, give these mood boosters a try:

• Crank up the radio and sing along in the car on the way to the office.
• Drink a tall glass of ice water to help you wake up. Sometimes just beating off the sleepiness is all you need to kick that bad mood to the curb!
• Dive right in! We all drag our feet in the mornings especially on Mondays, but nothing gets you going like actually getting started. I've found jumping in feet first is the best way to get my feet moving on a Monday morning.
• Laugh. Even if you're sitting in your office laughing like a loon for no apparent reason, it'll make you feel better. And recent studies show that laughter might help save you from a heart attack while it's at it!

You may never learn to love Mondays, but you shouldn't dread them either! What are your best tips for beating the Monday blues?