{"id":52508,"title":"Monday Off, Bliss On","description":"There\u2019s something deliciously rebellious about having a Monday off, isn\u2019t there? When everyone else is trudging to their desks, wrestling with their inboxes, and pretending to be delighted by their Teams notifications \u2014 ping! \u2014 I\u2019m still in my dressing gown, sipping coffee that\u2019s gone cold but somehow still tastes like freedom. No meetings. No \u201cquick calls","content":"

There\u2019s something deliciously rebellious about having a <\/span>Monday off<\/span><\/strong>, isn\u2019t there? When everyone else is trudging to their desks, wrestling with their inboxes, and pretending to be delighted by their Teams notifications \u2014 <\/span>ping!<\/span><\/em> \u2014 I\u2019m still in my dressing gown, sipping coffee that\u2019s gone cold but somehow still tastes like freedom.<\/span><\/p>

No meetings. No \u201cquick calls.\u201d No pretending that the Teams sound doesn\u2019t make me flinch like a Victorian heroine hearing a gunshot. Just\u2026 quiet.<\/span><\/p>

It\u2019s almost disorienting, this lack of alertness. I\u2019m not braced for someone needing something <\/span>immediately<\/span><\/em>. I\u2019m not side-eyeing my to-do list or thinking about deliverables. I\u2019m just <\/span>being<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>

A day like this feels like a deep breath I didn\u2019t realise I\u2019d been holding.<\/span><\/p>

So, I\u2019m spending it doing gloriously ordinary things \u2014 tidying a corner that\u2019s been quietly judging me, watching a film I\u2019ve already seen twice, pottering about with no agenda, and letting my brain soften around the edges. A little headspace to think about <\/span>me<\/span><\/em> rather than the constant needs of others.<\/span><\/p>

And yes, I know \u2014 I\u2019m paid to do a job. I\u2019m aware of that, fully. But why does it sometimes feel like work needs to come wrapped in this relentless pressure? The expectation to be available, responsive, and upbeat \u2014 all at once \u2014 is exhausting. It\u2019s not the work itself that drains us, it\u2019s the <\/span>pace<\/span><\/em>, the constant <\/span>on<\/span><\/em> mode. The Monday off feels like a quiet rebellion against that.<\/span><\/p>

Coaching Tip: Ditch the Tuesday Scaries<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Before the creeping guilt or panic sets in about tomorrow\u2019s return to reality, here\u2019s a little coaching reminder:<\/span><\/p>

Presence is power.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Today is for <\/span>today<\/span><\/em>. Let yourself enjoy the stillness, the slowness, the luxury of not rushing. Don\u2019t spend your Monday off emotionally living in Tuesday. The inbox will still be there \u2014 it always is \u2014 but <\/span>you<\/span><\/em> deserve this mental space.<\/span><\/p>

So go on, exhale.
Have another cuppa.
The world won\u2019t end if you\u2019re not on alert for one day.<\/span><\/p>","urlTitle":"the-stroppy-colleague-monday-off-bliss-on","url":"\/blog\/the-stroppy-colleague-monday-off-bliss-on\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/the-stroppy-colleague-monday-off-bliss-on\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/thestroppycolleague.com\/blog\/the-stroppy-colleague-monday-off-bliss-on\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1759756004,"updatedAt":1759756720,"publishedAt":1759756720,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":292132,"name":"The Stroppy Colleague"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/kd2dbojyby7ckd8gjknl7rkqefitwbilzaji0ej85yrtefxp.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/kd2dbojyby7ckd8gjknl7rkqefitwbilzaji0ej85yrtefxp.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/kd2dbojyby7ckd8gjknl7rkqefitwbilzaji0ej85yrtefxp.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":48374,"title":"Being Micro-managed","url":"\/blog\/being-micro-managed\/","urlTitle":"being-micro-managed","division":292132,"description":"Rant alert incoming. Few things get under my skin more than being micromanaged. Honestly, it\u2019s exhausting","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/nynwq3zlsydlpxxnnzue2idvacdjenvz3aobmp4ov4aol6g2.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/nynwq3zlsydlpxxnnzue2idvacdjenvz3aobmp4ov4aol6g2.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":51820,"title":"Shut the Door, Switch Off the Brain","url":"\/blog\/shut-the-door-switch-off-the-brain\/","urlTitle":"shut-the-door-switch-off-the-brain","division":292132,"description":"The working day ends, the laptop clicks shut, and yet\u2014your brain is still drafting emails you\u2019ll never send and replaying the moment Susan interrupted you for the fourth time in that meeting. Charming. But here\u2019s the thing: you don\u2019t get paid to be haunted by colleagues after hours","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/czrddapouzrkojy3h9gws4dq5hawfk02bxisb6wwgs3cdqve.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/czrddapouzrkojy3h9gws4dq5hawfk02bxisb6wwgs3cdqve.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":42101,"title":"Discovering the Right Job for You (Without Losing the Will to Live)","url":"\/blog\/discovering-the-right-job-for-you\/","urlTitle":"discovering-the-right-job-for-you","division":292132,"description":"Finding the right job isn\u2019t just about paying the bills \u2014 it\u2019s about saving your sanity. The dream is something that lines up with your skills, values, and goals without making you want to weep into your keyboard every Monday morning. Easier said than done, right? Still, it\u2019s worth getting a bit stroppy with yourself and asking the big questions: what am I good at, what actually matters to me, and what do I want my work life to feel like?Self-awareness is the starting point","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/buxuldwdaydeyivziengmwa66tr5tqgvcoyvjjspskv7zudb.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/buxuldwdaydeyivziengmwa66tr5tqgvcoyvjjspskv7zudb.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}