Jodi’s Journal: The changing case of ‘The Mondays’
Jan. 14, 2024
I hope I’m not the first to break it to you, business leaders, but have you heard of “Bare Minimum Mondays?”
“It’s a practice where employees show up to work to only do the bare minimum on a Monday, often starting the day late after a productive morning of self-care rituals,” according to this piece in Fortune, which credited a TikTok creator named Marisa Jo Mayes for popularizing it.
The social media influencer “describes it as a way for her to quell the work pressure and hold herself accountable to ‘completing the least amount of work necessary to get by that day.'”
The concept was born out of “prioritizing well-being over productivity instead of giving in to the hustle culture.”
I wanted to observe this for myself, and upon pulling up her TikTok account, realized she’s actually trademarked the phrase Bare Minimum Monday. Forget me trying to describe it. Just watch:
@itsmarisajo You wonder if The Internet will think your Cholula bagel is weird. You don’t care. #bareminimummonday #worklifewellbeing #bareminimummondays #lifestylevlog ♬ Sunday – HNNY
Eye-opening, isn’t it?
Now, this young woman also is self-employed. And, the productivity — or lack thereof — content appears to be all part of the brand. However, she also spoke to how those employed in more traditional work can embrace the Bare Minimum Monday concept.
@itsmarisajo Replying to @alysialovesmakeup This shift would’ve saved me so much stress & overwhelm back in my corporate days 😵💫 #bareminimummonday #bareminimummondays #worklifewellbeing #burnoutrecovery #wfhtips ♬ Theme From A Summer Place – Percy Faith
As it turns out, this is more than a Gen Z, reels-driven phenomenon.
This piece in Forbes reported that Mondays and late afternoon are the worst time for stress, productivity and motivation. It cited a survey from B2B Reviews that found “employees say they are 25 percent less productive on Mondays and 57 percent wish Monday could be part of the weekend. In addition, nearly 50 percent of people experience greater stress on Mondays.”
The majority of employees with an option to work from home choose to do so on Mondays, it continued, prompting employer concern over — you guessed it — productivity.
“There may be some validity to the concerns, at least on Mondays,” the article said. “When people work from home the first day of the week, 75 percent reported to B2B Reviews that they begin work late. In addition, 54 percent said they stream shows while working, 50 percent get extra rest, 49 percent dedicate time to self-care and 29 percent exercise. And about 12 percent say they work only three hours or less on Mondays.”
People reported being most productive on Tuesday and Wednesday. Personally, I already see many employers offering a lighter workload on Fridays, which makes me wonder what happens if we embrace the same on Mondays.
However, there are reasons for employers to consider being open to easing into the week, according to this look at the issue from U.S. News & World Report.
“Many people think it encourages employees to slack off and do less work at the beginning of the week, but the mindset actually provides employees with the space to ease into a busy week in a less frantic way – which is beneficial not only for their mental health and well-being, but also for their productivity and the employer’s bottom line,” Andrew Hunter, co-founder of job search site Adzuna, said in the story.
“It means allowing some time at the start of the week for employees to prioritize tasks for the week ahead and giving them the breathing room to focus on what really needs to be accomplished first, meaning pacing themselves steadily.”
Maybe the whole thing is another iteration of the “quiet quitting” concept that emerged during the pandemic. Maybe it’s a stress-driven reaction to the simple reality that many people struggle with managing time and prioritizing tasks, leading to being overwhelmed. Maybe it’s just the latest concoction of a generation empowered to put their own needs before those of an employer.
Regardless, as you start the week, be aware that while some of you might legitimately have this Monday off as a federal holiday, others are mentally or otherwise taking part of every Monday off.
