Monday, my new friend
I used to have a funny feeling about Monday. To my mind, it comes with a swirl of busy-ness. Plus, no matter what, if it’s Monday I must get up and get on!
I imagine this is the message I learned as a young 4 years old when mum and dad took me screaming and kicking to nursery. It was mainly dad taking us both, me nd my little sis, as mum could not bear our incessant crying.
Yet, they felt they had no choice, they had to be at work and so every day from 7 am we were taken to the nursery, we liked it or not.
Oh, how I wished to sleep a bit longer! Oh, how I wished I could stay home and play! Safe, with mum and dad around, in the comfort of our house. Don’t get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with my nursery. The ladies there were sweet, the kids were friendly enough, we got fed, we slept in the afternoon, we played all day long, I have no memories of any trauma or mistreating. Still, I have memories of not wanting to go and yelling my little head off in angst. But staying home was not an option for me.
Then, the same followed later in life: it’s Monday, get up and go to school! It’s Monday, get up and go to work! It’s Monday, get up and get on, life is happening! I started to feel cross with Monday!
Perhaps this is why as soon as I was old enough to have any control over my life I started skiving. I skived a lot at Uni, especially on Mondays. It wasn’t that I didn’t go at all to lectures on Mondays, it’s just that I chose to go in late, instead of starting at 8, I turned up at 10 or later. Now that felt a lot better!
And, perhaps this is why, when 15 years ago, I decided to go part-time to raise the quality of my life and gain more balance in my life, I decided to have Monday off.
For whatever the reason, I recently realised that Monday and I are no friends. I noticed that on Mondays I make myself have higher levels of stress whatever in my schedule. A part of me doesn’t want to do Monday!
That’s a real shame I thought to myself today. For Monday is an amazing day! Monday comes with a taste of a new beginning. Monday come with a lot of DO energy, which can be very useful when I need many things done. Monday comes with its own momentum. Isn’t it a shame that I looked away from all these gifts that Monday brings?
And so I decide, timidly and with some trepidation, that I want to make friends with Monday. I want to learn to take the pizzaz she has and joyfully tick lots of things off my to-do list.
Today I am manifesting a new friendship, with Monday. I am feeling a little excited ( my heart beats a bit faster as I write this) and a little nervous ( my tummy has butterflies).
What if it goes wrong my mind asked? What if I’ll get sucked into all this Monday busy-ness and I’ll exhaust myself, starting from Monday? I allow all my fears and worries to come up and I listen and I feel my body.
I feel my heart beat faster, I feel my tummy churning, I feel my shoulders tensing… I feel it all, I stay with all these feelings for a little while and I let them come up… and up they come…. and I feel them some more… and more they come… and I listen… lovingly, just being present with my body, my feelings…. and slowly they wash out one by one… they gently go away… I can feel a calm rising inside…
And I set some boundaries for myself. I notice I am no more 4 years old. I am a fully grown woman and I know what’s in my power, I know how much I can take. I promise myself I won’t overdo it. I promise myself I will be gentle with myself. I promise myself also to follow my new friends’ lead at times. I remind myself about self-care and self-love and I know I will be fine, even on a busy Monday! Monday and I are gonna be just fine, I am willing to give it a good go.
Credit featured image by Nicole Harrington on Unsplash