Just Another Manic Monday

I work in a large building full of cubicles, offices, and labs. Hundreds of people come here every day for work. I see, talk to, pass by, run into, and correspond with dozens of them, along with people around the country and around the world. What I’ve described is most likely, in some way, relative to what you might come across on a daily basis, be it people on the street on your way to work, or the close-knit group you work with every day. Without a question, the most common question you hear is ‘how are you?’ Half the time it might only be in passing, the answer being less important than the question used as a greeting. Those get the ‘good,’ ‘good’ type of exchanges. But when you are some sort of conversation version of ‘how are you,’ based on research I have never conducted and with no actual proof, 80% of the time, people use the day of the week as a catalyst to describe how they are doing.

The weekend just ended. You spent 8 hours watching football, eating wings, and drinking beers. You spent the day at your parents’ house with the kids. You spent the day dusting, vacuuming, polishing, and cleaning the entire house. At the end of the day, you were exhausted. Wake up, and it’s back to work.

Good morning, how are you today?
- Ugh, it's Monday

You were able to get through Monday, which is, for most people, the busiest day of the week. That alone is the silver lining. You might have four more days still on the calendar, but at least Monday is done. You can catch up on some sleep. There were some good TV shows on. You watched some Monday Night Football. You’re already used to waking up early again. Not all is lost.

Good morning, how are you today?
- Eh, it's only Tuesday

It’s the middle of the week. If you talk to me after lunch, I’m more than halfway done. I’m starting to make some weekend plans. The work is shifting from my inbox to my outbox. There’s a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel. You’ve reached the peak, and now you’re on the downhill side of the mountain. Unless something drastic happens at work, it’s smooth sailing for the rest of the week.

Good morning, how are you today?
- Hey, it's hump day!

There only stands one day between you and the weekend. Conversations have flooded to what the weekend has in store. The prospect of the weekend makes you feel like it’s already here. Knowing how good of a mood you will be in on Friday, it almost feels like today is a freebie. The mood of the office is light. Everyone seems to be in positive spirits. And your week of work is coming to an end. It becomes less about what day it is, and more about what day it almost is.

Good morning, how are you today?
- It's almost Friiidaaay....

It’s here. You are hours away from the best feeling of the 9-5 life: the moment the weekend starts. It’s full of opportunities, possibilities, people, places, ideas. Nothing is better than potential. Whether the office claims it or not, it’s casual Friday. Not necessarily in dress, but in spirit. Everyone is bubbly, people mingle, plans for the weekend are shared and discussed, and everyone has a common goal. Make sure everyone’s work is done. If that means pitching in with work that wasn’t assigned to you because you’re done early, that’s okay. One team, one goal: get to the weekend.

Good morning, how are you today?
- Woohoo!!! Finally Friday!!!!

Have I accurately portrayed what you have all experienced? I sure hope so. But I also hope that this doesn’t apply to you. I can’t speak for how I’ll be in 20 years, after the working life has worn me down to a tired, cynical soul, enamored with privacy in the bathroom or silence in the morning, but I can speak for how I want to be, and that is not confined by my monthly calendar or daily planner. The days of the week cannot control me or how I feel. Why does everything have to wait for the weekend (again, I see the flaws in this theory, for parents with nightly activities, and people with other responsibilities)? If you feel yourself getting caught in a rut, where every night is the same, forgettable routine, feel strong enough to break it.

Just because a few of your favorite shows air on Tuesday nights, doesn’t mean you need to deepen the ass-grove in your couch and snuggle up with your TV blanket. Just because you’re used to doing laundry on Monday nights, doesn’t mean you can’t go an extra few days with what you have and trying again another night (unless you’re out of underwear). If your friends invite you out for a drink, or for a town concert, or a showing of an old, classic movie at the local auditorium, you can do it. If you’re waiting for the weekend before you call a friend to hang out, try a Wednesday. If you continuously wait until the weekend, something will inevitably come up. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve thought I’d just wait until Friday before giving someone a call, then before I know it, I fall into the same plans with the same people I’ve seen for the last month, and never make the call. It’s okay to go do something on a Monday. Work will always be there in the morning. For the rest of the week. And the rest of the month. And the rest of the year. And the rest of the decade. You get the idea.

If you let the days of the week control your mood, your plans, and your approach to life, then you’re giving away entirely too much authority. Next time you get asked how you are doing, I plead, do not reference the day of the week. We can all count, and we’re all on the same page. I’m not saying I’m not in a better mood on a Friday, but I have enough autonomy to let my own life dictate when I do things, how I do things, and how I feel on a day to day basis.