Ah Monday.

Everyone dreads Mondays. Back to work, a whole week ahead and, often, a whole lot of meetings, tasks and projects are staring right at you. Even if you aren’t the type to stress about the impending week, swamped days can easily cramp anyone’s style. Here’s how to keep your head above water and not get burnt out in the process.

Leave work at the office.
It’s hard to do, but when you’ve had a string of busy days and feel like you’ve had no time to yourself, you have to stop working and recover. Turn off your notifications, set your email aside and focus on you for a few hours.

Immerse yourself in a hobby.
Finding something new that you enjoy and carving out time for it every week, or as often as you’d like, forces you to set work aside and focus your attention on something else. Some suggestions include taking a class, picking up cooking, painting, sewing, baking, knitting, starting a blog, volunteering for an organization near and dear to you, and many, many more. The possibilities are endless, so pick one or two and enjoy!

Do something just for you.
The most important thing you can do when taking a break to recharge from work is something relaxing for yourself. Whether it’s spending an hour or two at the salon or spa, relaxing in a bubble bath, or just lounging around, it’s imperative that you turn your brain off for a while and let it recoup.  My personal favorite is an at-home mani in front of one of my favorite movies (yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing in between paragraphs now).

Catch up with a friend.
Call a friend you haven’t seen recently or schedule a date once a week with a loved one to clear your mind for a while. You’ll be forced to put your phone away and focus on the person in front of you. If you can’t entirely leave work behind, getting an outside perspective could help shed some light on the things you’re having difficulty with.

Get physical.
Whether it’s hitting the gym, heading out to the park for some fresh air or taking Spot out for a run, there’s nothing like physical activity to clear your mind and get your juices flowing. Sweat it out and watch everything else sort itself out.

Do something mindless. 
If nothing else, take a few minutes to just do something completely mindless. Indulge in a guilty pleasure, go for a short walk, step outside and grab a cup of coffee, turn on a movie or TV show if you can – anything that will hold your attention without actually making you work will work wonders on refocusing you.

What do you do to cope with a beyond stressful day?

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