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About Face SMONDAy!

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Once upon a time when I was in the US Air Force, I used to start feeling Sunday night dread around 5pm. I anxiously felt like there were so many things I still had to do to be prepared for Monday morning, and the military assignment I loved.

When you’re in the military, you don’t get away with calling in; especially when you’re the only one being depended upon to run a busy Social Actions office. Besides, I didn’t feel sick exactly, just overwhelmed.

I should have been thrilled to get most all weekends off. But they weren’t all that free for me because I was too busy living under the dread of what I recently read people refer to as “SMONDAy!”

smonday_black_on_lilac

 

 

 

I wanted my house totally clean. I also insisted on cooking ahead for the week, so I didn’t have to worry about coming home late from work, and still having to prepare a full meal.

In addition, I had to have mine and my husband’s uniforms washed and pressed, my shoes shined, and on top of that, I had to make sure the grass was cut, the bushes pruned, and flowers planted..or get fined.

Oh, by the way, the military expects their enlisted to arrive at the office on Monday morning on time, fully rested, and refreshed. But you have to go to bed at a timely hour first, don’t you?

Instead, I was holding on to every last second of Sunday that I could. Then darnnit, came Monday, spoiling it for me.

There were a few times when I wanted to cry my eyes out because of SMONDAy. I didn’t have a prayer if I wasn’t properly prepared. Right?!

From 5pm on, the hours ticked by faster than a moving locomotive. Before I knew it midnight or later had arrived, and I wasn’t even ready to hit the sack. Oh no! My goose felt cooked.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by “SMONDAy?”

If I have known this word existed back then, I probably would have felt better, and not tagged Sunday & Monday as the culprits.

Thankfully, this situation shook me up so much that I got sense. I started realizing that Monday was going to come no matter how I was feeling. I had to stop sabotaging my Sunday and Monday.

 

ABOUT FACE SMONDAy!

 

What did I want my week to look like? How could I get that? Once I knew this, I was able to better focus on getting through SMONDAy!

The question became: How could I start the week with fewer things hanging over my head?

I calmly decided to end my weekend on a high note.

run-day-or-day-runs

 

 

 

By sucking it up and identifying my stress triggers, I was then better able to evaluate what specifically was causing my dread almost every Sunday night.

That’s when it hit me. I was way too determined to get “everything” done by Monday morning, sometimes staying up well into the night to accomplish this.

First, I had to stop and define: “Everything!”

Second, I needed to re-access how I could make the word “accomplishment“ feel less heavy. Once I started massaging words and phrases like…

“wanted” “insisted on,” “had to do,” “I have to,” I was quickly able to * identify * address * and reduce.

And third, I had to learn to ask for help. At the time, I had a husband. He wanted to help, I just didn’t ask. I could also get support from the older neighborhood kids. They liked pocket money, and I had some I could spare.

Now a civilian, I’m still a proactive planner. I never want to dread “SMONDAy“ again.

 

By what o’clock on Sunday do you start dreading Monday???

 

*Thanks Google Images***Featured Image is me*

 

 

 

25 thoughts on “About Face SMONDAy!”

  2. love this and can completely identify. i have the same expectations that by sun evening-it better get done! one day house, next day yard-i start dreading mon by 3 sun pm. i try to keep it all up daily and that helps though i start slacking on thurs! well done post!

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    1. Sounds like an excellent way to be all you can be, and most likely why you experience more and more success in your endeavors. At least you can be clear on what matters most to you and yours. Love it!

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  13. I totally relate to this and I have a friend that is also suffering from it. We have cried on a Sunday night often. Yard takes day, housework takes a day, groceries and like you I plan everything ahead of time. Then I do not want to go to bed on Sunday, because it will be Monday. An awful cycle and I am trying to get out of it! There is another way to live and some ways just do not work anymore.

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