Ah, the bleakness of Monday mornings...

The weekend we spent all last week longing for has come and gone - again - and now we have to come to terms with the fact that a full 104 hours lies between now and 5 PM Friday. But remember this: life has a lot of Mondays. So unless you want to spend 1/7 of your life feeling miserable, learning how to change your Monday outlook will drastically improve your life. And the good news is it doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Here are some great ways to beat the Monday Blues and start loving the freshness of a new week: 1. Wake up early No, really. Start the week by NOT being in a rush. Be leisurely. Open the curtains, stretch. Enjoy your morning coffee or tea before waking anyone else. Scroll through your Instagram feed. Flick through the Sunday papers you never had time to read yesterday. Take a refreshing shower. Dress in something you feel pretty in. Whatever it is that will lift your mood, make sure you do it on Monday mornings. 2. Eat a nice breakfast We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and starting the week eating something healthy and good will set you in the right frame of mind for the week. If you want to have more time for your morning shower (or Instagram scrolling), try making some overnight oats on a Sunday evening, ready to take out of the fridge and be enjoyed come Monday morning. 3. Play some music Make a playlist with songs that help you feel happy, motivated and rearing to go, and play it as you are getting ready and dressed on a Monday morning. 4. Skip cocktails and caffeine on a Sunday evening Making sure you have a good night's sleep will set you up for the day, and make it far easier to get out of bed when the alarm goes off. 5. Get active Pencil in some activity on a Monday morning. Getting your blood flowing as soon as you are up will lift your mood and make you feel ready to take on the new week. Try to find something to do that fits your life in the mornings, whether it is jumping jack's on the kitchen floor with the kids, taking the dog for a walk or biking to work. 6. Make Monday date night Plan something nice to do on a Monday evening that will make getting through the day a breeze. Invite friends over for dinner, go to the cinema, meet a friend for a glass of wine, anything that will put a smile on your face is a winner. 7. Plan ahead If you often find yourself overwhelmed by everything you have to do on Monday, plan ahead by making a to-do list before you leave work on Friday. 8. Eat a nice lunch Whether you pencil in a lunch date somewhere lovely with a friend or colleague or bring in your favourite food, just make sure your Monday lunch is something to look forward to. 9. Do some cleaning over the weekend Coming home to a clean house on a Monday afternoon, where you have nothing else to do but relax and wind down, will no doubt make for a softer start to the week. 10. Make a conscious effort to not complain No Moan Mondays. Make it happen in your home and workplace. Because who in their right minds WANT to go around feeling miserable?!