Mondays are tough. Everybody knows this. And for the most part, everybody knows why. We all just recognize and accept that transitions are difficult and the shift in rhythm from unstructured to structured time can be jarring. The alarm clock sounds more harsh and unbearable when you haven’t heard its ring in a few days, and the same can be said of your boss’s voice. But that’s no reason to let Mondays get your down. And it’s certainly no reason to write the day off and simply accept that you’re unlikely to get much done.

Here are a few ways to make your uncomfortable day a little more productive.

Do your Monday self a few favors on Friday.

Friday-You can make life easier for Monday-You with a few kind gestures that go a long way. Tidy up your workspace before you leave, so you can come in fresh. Create a to-do list for your Monday self so she has a road map throughout the day and doesn’t have to start out in a fog. You can even use post-its (or your own personal system) to visually prepare her for the tasks ahead and minimize her cognitive load as much as possible. She’ll thank you for it, I promise.

Avoid sleeping in…too much.

Of course there’s no need to bolt out of bed on a sub-zero Saturday morning for no reason. But if you try, at least a little, to gently bring yourself into a waking state at about the same time on weekends as you do on weekdays, the transition back and forth will be easier on your mental health.

Don’t give in.

Mondays (unsurprisingly) are the day people most often contemplate quitting their jobs. That’s fine, and if you don’t like your job, you certainly SHOULD quit (try to have another one lined up when you do). But don’t quit, or contemplate it, just because it’s hard to get up and get busy after the weekend. Remind yourself of all of the reasons why you like working here and take some time to have a Monday chat with the coworkers you enjoy the most.

For more on how to stay on track and focused, no matter the day of the week, turn to the career management team at PSU.