Why You Should Embrace ‘Bare Minimum Mondays’

For many people, Mondays are the worst day of the week. I mean, who likes going back to work after tasting freedom over the weekend? Not me! But what if Mondays could be more chill? What if all you were expected to do on Mondays was the bare minimum? I’m sure many people would change their opinions on Mondays! This idea or trend has been circulating around the internet and it has people seriously divided. So, here’s my hot take on bare minimum Mondays and why we should all be participating in them!

What are Bare Minimum Mondays?

Let’s start off by explaining what the heck bare minimum Mondays are. 

The idea is that on Monday, workers will do the bare minimum. Aka, they will do the least amount of work possible WHILE still meeting expectations.

It’s not unusual for Fridays to be days of slacking. Let’s be real, after 12 o’clock no work is happening for most people. 

This is kind of like that but it’s planning for it. 

The main idea behind this is that by doing less on Mondays you are setting yourself up for a more productive week, focusing on a better work-life balance, and creating a better work culture. 

The whole bare minimum Mondays thing started blowing up the internet after Marisa Jo posted a TikTok about it (her whole page is actually about this) and she had some good points! 

My hot take on bare minimum Mondays 

When I came across this idea I read so many comments from people saying “no one wants to work these days” and “young people are so lazy.” *Cue Kim Kardashian’s voice*

There were also a lot of comments saying “this won’t work for my job” or “only office workers could do this.” 

Now, don’t come for me in the comments but I simply think that a) people shouldn’t do more than they are paid to do, and why work yourself to the bone for someone else? And b) it won’t work for all jobs but that doesn’t mean everyone should suffer. 

Every job has some sort of perks that other jobs don’t. 

For example, I work in social services. We work a little longer every day and get an extra day off every other week. 

I have a friend who is a nurse. He gets a discount at Lululemon just for being a nurse. 

I know someone who works for an accounting firm. They have a ping pong table and play during work hours when they are finished with all their work. 

My fiancé is a salesperson at a Powersport dealership and he gets to do personal errands during the work day, they have a beer fridge, and get to take out sea-doos and other fun toys whenever they want.

Different workplaces have different perks. So if certain workers can do a bare minimum Monday, then do it!! Why not? Don’t be a hater if your job doesn’t allow it okay? All of our grandparents allegedly walked 2 miles to school every day in the snow uphill both ways 🤪 society changes, we evolve, it’s not that deep.

Benefits of doing less work on Mondays

Depending on your work, bare minimum Mondays could benefit your workload and also your personal life. 

Some bosses have introduced bare minimum Mondays as a way for workers to have more personal time (and some workers have just adopted this themselves).

The benefits of having a more flexible and a less hectic Monday could be:

• Improved mental health
• More time to do household things
• The opportunity to tailor your day as you’d like 
• Being able to take your kids to school one day a week
• Treating yourself to an actual breakfast
• Getting outside and working (or not)
• Allows for proper planning for the week 
• More productive overall 
• Cuts out “busy work” 
• Lets workers focus on work they actually want to do
• Creates an easier start to the work week
• Lessens anxiety
• Gives workers more autonomy (instead of feeling like slaves to their boss)
• Creates a healthier workplace environment 
• Shows workers their boss/workplace trusts them
• Takes away the overwhelm and stress of not finishing all your tasks (because often times we totally overload ourselves)

The creator who has gone viral for this idea stated it started as a burnout prevention strategy. She decided bare minimum Mondays would make Mondays less dreadful. The whole point is to focus on self-care and the things that actually matter. Doing the bare minimum, nothing more and nothing less. 

Related reads:

• 6 Simple Ways To Practice Slow Living
• How To Manage Time Anxiety And Live In The Present
• How To Lower Your Stress Levels When You’re Always Busy

How my Monday looks at work 

I do a sort of bare minimum Monday at work. However, I didn’t call it that and I have been doing it for years. 

Mondays are generally paper days for me. I have the luxury of scheduling my own days. As a support worker, I schedule meetings with clients and can give whatever availability I want.

I try to not book any meetings on Mondays.

Mondays are for catching up on paperwork, making sure I’ve logged my case notes, answering emails, doing research for my clients, etc. It’s an office day. I also spend lots of time catching up with my co-workers. 

I would consider this a bare minimum Monday because I’m doing work that needs to be done but ONLY the work that needs to be done. 

My clients know I typically don’t take meetings on Mondays and I’ve never had any complaints. It’s crazy but all my clients actually understand and treat me like I’m a human and not a robot. 

Does that mean I won’t take a super important meeting on a Monday? No, of course not. I do my job and if the bare minimum is to attend an important meeting then I do that! Remember, bare minimum means you are still meeting expectations. 

I’ve personally found that it eases me into the week in a more relaxing way. I’m able to catch up on work that I otherwise would be too busy for. It’s a great way to plan my week and make sure I’m on track. And, it’s a way more enjoyable day to the point that I mostly look forward to it. 

Related read: How I Plan My Life As A Part-Time Blogger

Ways you could do a bare minimum Monday

I won’t sit here and pretend this will work for everyone. Nurses most likely get to work and have to jump right in. Bank tellers have to work if people show up to the bank. 

Some workplaces are more flexible than others. 

If you work for yourself this could be a great thing to add to your week. Start your day off slow. You could sleep in a little longer, make breakfast, tidy the house, only do work online, focus on answering emails, work for 4 hours and call it a day, etc. 

If you work in an office setting or somewhere with a bit of flexibility try having a slower morning. Enjoy breakfast at work, don’t plan Monday meetings, catch up with your co-workers, take an extra afternoon walk, don’t check your emails immediately in the morning, take off “wishful thinking” tasks for your to-do list, etc.

If you work in a setting where this won’t work at all, then focus on not taking on extra work on Mondays. Say no to the overtime, say no to that extra task your boss wants you to do but won’t pay you more for, actually take a proper lunch break, enjoy your morning coffee for 5 minutes before starting, do the absolute minimum to get you to Tuesday, and so on. 

As a society, we need to move away from the mindset that everyone needs to work their lives away. 

Why is it so socially acceptable that we should spend more time at work than at home? Why do we need to fit all of our life into 2 days a week? How is that a life at all? Just because our parents did it doesn’t mean that’s the best way to do it. 

I love that the younger generation is questioning these things. People are starting to realize that LIFE is more important than work. At the end of the day, how long would it take for your employer to replace you if you died? And how long would it take for your family to replace you? Trick question: you are irreplaceable to your family (but your workplace will find someone new in a couple of weeks). Harsh but true! 

Mondays don’t need to suck 

Okay, so this was a pretty hot take on a trend/idea floating around on the internet. 

I personally love the idea of bare minimum Mondays. They are a great way to slow down and have a better work-life balance or just a better work environment.

Call me “young and lazy” but I really don’t think we all need to work ourselves to the bone.

If you are able to slow down your Mondays I highly suggest you do. Your mental health matters. Your happiness matters. 

Take advantage of any perks you have at work and don’t feel bad about doing the bare minimum because it’s still doing the work, just with boundaries! 

I’m curious what you think of bare minimum Mondays! Is it a good idea or do you think the young people need to get to work? Let’s chat in the comments!