By Mia Norris

It is no secret that people hate Mondays, but why is it that we wait until Friday to start living our lives? As a society, the phenomena of being a “weekend chaser” is prevalent at just about every stage. We wait for our school week to come to a close, while our parents wait to clock out on Friday afternoon. However, the times when we do what we want with our lives shouldn’t be limited to just three days.  Feeling at ease on that Friday night thinking “Yes the weekend is finally here!”, to Sunday night finishing everything up and going into a moment of anticipating those Monday blues. Yet, it does not have to be this way. We need to stop waiting until Friday to enjoy life and instead look at each day with just as much importance.

It seems almost impossible to overcome, but here are a few simple ways to do just that… 

Celebrate small victories

A sure way to feel like the days of the week are important and worth something in your day to day life is to recognize and celebrate all of the small victories that we accomplish. For example, waking up every morning and making your bed can be the perfect way to start each day. Whether you have to be in school bright and early for morning review, or right past 7:35 a.m, making your bed in the morning allows you to start your day with a win. Making your bed seems like a small feat, but shows how valuable small accomplishments may be. Setting small goals for yourself on the weekdays create more motivation for you throughout the week. 

Plan activities on your dreaded days

Pick a day that you typically stare at the clock during and plan something that will excite you. Whether that is hanging with your friends, getting ice cream or playing a board game at home with your family these small activities will make those dreadful days feel like they became more important. Throughout the week it can become challenging to do what you enjoy to do most outside of your responsibilities, but if we could make the slight change of blocking off some time throughout the week to do the things we most enjoy we will find ourselves being in a better situation. Lastly, taking time throughout the week to get outside. The outdoors is a place that can give you time away from technology and the work that is nearly screaming at you to get done. By simply going on a short walk, a long run, or even a drive with your favorite music on you can take time to appreciate the moments that you crave on weekdays that are typically brought to you on weekends.

Utilize the night time 

There are seven full 24 hour days in a week and as a society that complains about not having enough time in a day to do everything we need to do, we should start by utilizing the night time. The day does not end at 3 p.m, you still have plenty of  time to be productive from that point on.  As a student we have such a high expectancy every day. While trying to balance being a straight A student, getting the lead in the show, or even being a star athlete, some people forget that as humans we all need time to be stress free. The night time is a perfect time to take some time for yourself. Utilize this time by dedicating time to watch one episode of the show you like or even a chapter of that one book without thinking about school or work. Allow your brain to relax and your body be calm by spending time journaling, or even cleaning. These are all things that can make us look at the weekdays with a positive light and a desire to take on each day. 

Live in the moment

As cliche as it sounds, it is the truth. As a society, we spend so much time wondering about what is next, when the weekend is, or what we are doing in a week and three days from now. The weekdays are valuable days that we should not let slip our minds as we think about the weekend. It should not be a matter of “let’s get through this week”, but instead “let’s enjoy it”, with each day there are new opportunities and so many reasons to prioritize what is in front of you. Instead of chasing each weekend, take the weekdays to be ones where you achieve, appreciate and have a positive mindset even when it gets tough. There is time to do what you want throughout the week. Instead of limiting ourselves to three days.

Instead of waiting until Friday, go do it now!