5 Ways to Brighten Your Week

We’ve all been there. Monday rolls around and we’re dreading the week ahead. Another 5 days before we can sleep in or take that extra 5 minutes in the shower. 

Walking into the week in this mindset makes it extra difficult to go in with a positive outlook. 

Here are 5 ways to brighten your week to make sure the weekend doesn’t feel so far away. 

1. Keep a routine: 

• The one thing I never really did over the years was make my bed. I know, not a huge deal. But I noticed that if my bed wasn’t made then I was more likely to come home from work and crawl into the comfort of my bed. And let me tell you, it’s no easier to get out of bed at 5 pm than it is at 6 am. Not to mention that when my days felt messy or overwhelming, I came home to a messy bed which seemed to contribute to the mood. Once I started taking a few minutes to include making my bed in my morning routine I noticed a change in my routine when I came home. The made bed feels less messy, and on the hardest days it feels like a small win: “well at least my bed is made”. It keeps me from laying down and encourages me to be more productive before I let myself undo the pillows and covers.

• It’s all about the small wins - what small pieces of your routine could help uplift your spirit? 

2. Read from His word:

• This is something that I, admittedly, need to do more often. Take even 10 minutes to spend time with scripture and learning from the Bible. He gave an instruction book for all pieces of life. He gave us His word to keep our hearts and minds and peace. Even a small amount of time with scripture can change your mindset or assure you that the Lord is with you even on the hardest days. 

3. Do something for yourself: 

• You don’t always need a special reason to treat yourself. I like to do something about once a week that I know will make me smile. This often looks like grabbing my favorite coffee, taking a trip to Barnes & Noble, giving myself extra time to read, or grabbing my favorite lunch. 

• This can also be going to bed early, taking that extra time in the shower, watching that episode that should probably wait for tomorrow, or saying no when your social battery is too low. 

• There is no shame in putting yourself first when your mental or physical well-being needs it. Being proactive about taking care of yourself will ultimately help alleviate some of those low battery moments.

4. See a friend: 

• I love my coworkers - they make the tough days so much better. But there is nothing like spending time with a friend who doesn’t require you to have a social battery. You can do something fun or simply exist together. Getting in that personal social time can be the breath of fresh air you need mid week. 

5. Unplug! 

• It feels like we spend our 9-5 at work and our 5-9 plugged into the internet anymore. I’ve started to make sure that I unplug for at least 30 minutes before bed, but I would love for it to be longer. I used to say “I wish I had time to read more” and “I want to go to this new market” or “I wish I had time to learn this cool hobby”, but always lost the time from being plugged into my devices. By forcing myself to unplug at night, I’ve been able to reallocate that time to my “I wish” list. Some of my favorite things do to these days are to read, practice crocheting, reorganizing, and spending time with family. 

• You’ll be amazed at the impact this can have in your life.

The weeks can feel heavy, busy, tiring, you name it. We pray the weekend comes faster so we can spend more time on us. I challenge you to allow that time spent on you to spill into your week. No one said we have to confine that time to our weekends. Switching from the mindset that the week is for work and your weekend is for you to the idea that your contract hours are for work and everything else you can spend as you need makes a world of a difference.