Do we finally have a cure for “a bad case of the Mondays”? Trainer and expert Rachael Hite says that Bare Minimum Mondays just might be one more piece of the puzzle to figuring out work-life balance.
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A trend is happening right now where exhausted and burnt-out workers are approaching Mondays in a totally new way, rather than the expected breakneck pace that corporate culture demands. It’s called “Bare Minimum Monday,” and it’s part of the growing movement to go against hustle culture and lean more into work-life balance tactics.
Taking a “Bare Minimum Monday” means that you are intentionally starting your week slow, that you are not going to tackle any major tasks, and only do the bare minimum tasks required of you for your job.
What if instead of making Monday something you dread, you retool your schedule to focus on creative and quiet marketing tasks (the ones you never make time for) and completely makeover how you approach your work week?
One of the main goals of this trend is to help minimize the “Sunday Scaries,” or the anxiety and dread most people feel Sunday night thinking about how intense Monday is going to be after a peaceful weekend.
For many (all generations included), “hustle culture” creates anxiety and is unrealistic for their personal values and even their individual lifestyle.
For commission-driven agents, the message from coaches, brokers, and industry leaders is that you must “dig deep,” “double down,” and rise to the occasion to succeed in a down market.
America remains the most overworked developed nation in the world. Productivity per employee has increased by 434 percent since 1950, email and Slack make it harder than ever to switch off after hours, yet the supposed rewards – like buying property – are increasingly out of reach. – Holly Thomas, CNN, ‘Bare minimum Mondays’ are more than they appear to be’
Bare Minimum Monday facts
Subscribers to this trend make self-care a priority, avoid scheduling critical meetings, and spend time doing tasks that help them reduce stress with a focus on sustaining regular energy.
Just the name of this trend (which is a more tame version of quietly quitting) is enough to make many a boomer or over-worked Gen-X spontaneously combust, so it’s best not to share what you are doing with the world at large. But never fear- the beauty of this trend is that anyone can try it and reap the benefits promised, and it can be your own little secret to success.
How to spend your Bare Minimum Monday
- Make Monday a “work from home” day
- Answer basic questions and emails with short and concise answers
- Avoid scheduling intensive meetings
- Use this day to tackle appointments for your personal health- dentist, doctors, etc.
- If you end up working over the weekend, make sure to take time to spend a little time on laundry and meal prep to that you are not running behind all week
- Listen to career-building podcasts or audiobooks and take a long walk
- Plan your week ahead and share your schedule with your circle
- Jot down your “must-accomplish” tasks for the week and what steps you need to complete them
- Return phone calls and texts only as needed
- Clean up your desk and prepare documents for use for the rest of the week
- Work on creative tasks that you never seem to have time for
What could Mondays be perfect for? Creative marketing tasks
- Like quieting writing and blog posts for your newsletter or website
- Creating a simple spreadsheet of quick copy for social media posts that you can copy and paste during the week
- Go on a photo capture mission, and go take photography around your community that you can use for future projects
- Take tutorials to learn skills and technology to make marketing easier for your future self
Hate it; I hate it
If you are bothered by “Bare minimum Mondays,” “Quietly Quitting,” and all the other trends that seem to go against everything hustle culture has conditioned you to believe, trends like this can be very triggering and upsetting. While you are mumbling that people are too soft and no one wants to work anymore … consider this.
- This tool can be used once a month, not every Monday, and it can be a very effective way to build more work-life balance into your schedule.
- This can help with retention. Sometimes pushing your team too hard is the exact opposite of what they need.
- Hustle culture can motivate some people to go above and beyond, but remember to ask yourself if the hustle is sustainable.
- Self-care is not selfish, wasteful, ridiculous, or unnecessary. It can be the key to helping your team get across the finish line in a down market. Taking a break is not the enemy of success.
How do you know if this trend is for you?
As with any trend, this is probably just a passing vibe that is a reaction to burnout, the economy, and overall frustration with not getting the results you want from work based on the hours you have put in.
If you are going to use this tool, of course, use it responsibly. If done thoughtfully, easing into the week might be a brilliant move for your career. And if you can avoid a “case of the Mondays” who can blame you for trying something new?
Rachael Hite is a former agent, a business development specialist, fair housing advocate, copy editor, and is currently perfecting her long game selling homes in a retirement community in Northern Virginia. You can connect with her about life, marketing, and business on Instagram and Twitter.
