Let’s face it, a bad case of the Mondays, as coined from the cult classic Office Space, is a serious affliction shared by workers all around the world. We live in a labor-intensive society that often leaves us craving the freedom of the weeknd and resenting the start of the work week. This naturally makes Mondays one of the most hated and fraught days of the week, but what if it doesn’t have to be?
Mindfulness and intentionality are powerful things, and if you can help your employees approach Mondays with a slightly different attitude, you might be able to rid them of the Monday blues all together.
Below are some great employee hacks that you can start implementing today to help cure your employees’ case of the Mondays.
A case of the Mondays starts on Sunday
While there isn’t a whole lot you can do to ensure your employees are well-rested and ready for a new work week, it’s important to understand why employees are so anxious about Mondays. That process starts with Sunday.
Most employees often fit into two Sunday camps: the first type of Sunday employee will avoid thinking about work until the last minute, doing whatever it takes to stretch their weekend out as long as possible. The second will begrudgingly get into work mode on Sunday evening, checking emails and stretching themselves thin before the work week has even really started.
Both approaches aren’t all that healthy for the mind or body, and part of what will help your employees fall out of this mindset has less to do with encouraging better Sunday behavior than it does with creating a more positive, mindful, and welcoming work environment on Monday morning.
If you follow the below hacks, you can start making your Monday mornings something your employees will actually look forward to.
Office Hack #1 - Plants for the people
This first hack is very simple, but it really does make a big difference. Studies have shown and continue to show huge benefits from indoor plants, including improved concentration and productivity (a 15% boost), reduced stress levels, and better moods among workers.
A lot of what makes houseplants so soothing is simply their presence. People enjoy being in and around nature, and placing a living plant in your office will provide that soothing effect we all enjoy from being outside.
On top of the effects that indoor plants have on the efficiency and mood of workers, they also greatly improve the air quality. NASA has decades of research to show that houseplants can remove harmful toxins from the air in a matter of hours, which makes for a healthier, cleaner, and more refreshing work environment.
Office Hack #2 - Get moving
Imagine this: It’s Monday morning, your employees are just settling into their office spaces, and rather than have a team meeting or announcement for the work week, you call everyone into an empty meeting room with nothing but yoga mats laid out along the floor. You then proceed to coordinate a fun and easy ten-minute Monday morning stretch.
How do you think your employees would feel if the first thing they encountered on Monday morning was a fun, active, team-oriented activity? There are several studies out there, like this one from the ADAA, that show a clear connection between exercise/increased blood flow and reduced stress and anxiety levels.
Providing the space for several fun workout sessions, like stretching sessions, yoga, or games will contribute to happier and healthier employees.
Office Hack #3 - Encourage friendship
Humans are social creatures, and there are a ton of benefits - improved productivity level, job satisfaction, efficiency, and creativity, among others - from having close human contact and building strong bonds with those around us.
Encouraging friendship through group projects and buddy systems is an excellent way to get people connected and offer that necessary human quality to the office. Simply knowing they’re going to see their friends on Monday morning is an excellent motivator to get out of bed and ready for work.
Office Hack #4 - Bring the weekend dance party into the office
This one is pretty self-explanatory - people LOVE music. Music helps stimulate mood, creativity, and productivity, and bringing music into the workplace is a sure way to make your Mondays a lot more fun, relaxing, and enjoyable for your employees.
Depending on the needs of the office, it may not be ideal for employees to be listening to music while they’re at their desks, taking calls, and staying busy, and that’s okay. Instead, try to have some fun tunes playing in the break room throughout the day, or organize a fifteen minute dance session every few hours.
Why Grokker has the support you need
With Grokker, you have a number of ways to help cure your employees of the Monday blues by providing workers with a plethora of ways to connect with each other, get active, and recharge.
- Grokker has a library of over 4,000 fitness, mental health, nutrition, sleep, and financial wellbeing videos that meet a wide range of goals and interests.
- A large insurance provider reported that after using Grokker, 96% of their employees were more motivated to improve their health and 90% felt healthier and more energized..
- Whether you’re integrating Grokker into your existing benefits program or utilizing Grokker as a stand-alone solution, we have the support you need to transform your work environment.
Learn more about how Grokker can help your employees, and try the demo today.
