{"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":"<p><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">There\u2019s something deliciously rebellious about having a <\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">Monday off<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">, 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><em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">ping!<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\"> \u2014 I\u2019m still in my dressing gown, sipping coffee that\u2019s gone cold but somehow still tastes like freedom.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">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><p><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">It\u2019s almost disorienting, this lack of alertness. I\u2019m not braced for someone needing something <\/span><em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">immediately<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">. I\u2019m not side-eyeing my to-do list or thinking about deliverables. I\u2019m just <\/span><em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">being<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">A day like this feels like a deep breath I didn\u2019t realise I\u2019d been holding.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">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><em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">me<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\"> rather than the constant needs of others.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">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><em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">pace<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">, the constant <\/span><em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">on<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\"> mode. The Monday off feels like a quiet rebellion against that.<\/span><\/p><p><strong><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">Coaching Tip: Ditch the Tuesday Scaries<\/span><\/strong><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">Before the creeping guilt or panic sets in about tomorrow\u2019s return to reality, here\u2019s a little coaching reminder:<\/span><\/p><p><strong><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">Presence is power.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">Today is for <\/span><em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">today<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">. 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><em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">you<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\"> deserve this mental space.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;\">So go on, exhale.<br \/>Have another cuppa.<br \/>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":42124,"title":"Know Thyself (Without the Eye-Roll)","url":"\/blog\/know-thyself\/","urlTitle":"know-thyself","division":292132,"description":"\u201cKnow thyself\u201d is ancient Greek for referring to a deep self-awareness and understanding of one's own nature, abilities and limitations.  Socrates famously declared that \"the unexamined life is not worth living\u201d","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ixnzdpamcdgoyel6po0tzc1jrnfmwheruhkzngcavo83ge5g.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ixnzdpamcdgoyel6po0tzc1jrnfmwheruhkzngcavo83ge5g.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":55515,"title":"Some Books That Made Work Take Up Less Space in My Head","url":"\/blog\/some-books-that-made-work-take-up-less-space-in-my-head\/","urlTitle":"some-books-that-made-work-take-up-less-space-in-my-head","division":292132,"description":"Work has a habit of taking up more space than it should.\nIn your head.\nIn your time.\nIn the background of everything else.\nYou clock off, but your brain doesn\u2019t.\nIt\u2019s replaying conversations.\nRewriting emails.\nRehearsing what you should have said in that meeting three days ago.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/7hwkoj67wqu168nxeiwmvrndg6vlluhiwwvhvpqedbbfhc7j.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/7hwkoj67wqu168nxeiwmvrndg6vlluhiwwvhvpqedbbfhc7j.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":42056,"title":"What Actually Matters (and What Doesn\u2019t)","url":"\/blog\/whats-most-important-to-you\/","urlTitle":"whats-most-important-to-you","division":292132,"description":"A Core Values exercise can help you identify and clarify the fundamental principles that guide your decisions, behaviours, and life choices.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/tls617sn9bgeqv3p7imqarclrgc7rrx2rsgezisiog9upyxl.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/tls617sn9bgeqv3p7imqarclrgc7rrx2rsgezisiog9upyxl.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}