How to Beat the Monday Blues

…and start off every morning feeling beautiful.

 

Dear Kim,

I want your secrets to loving Mondays—how do you do it? Come Sunday, I’m always struck with the Monday blues, so instead of enjoying the second/last day of my weekend I’m little miss Debbie Downer. And it’s all because of one day! I want to love Mondays like you do, too!

You’re like this never ending Mary Poppin’s carpet bag of wisdom and empowerment and positivity all in a 20-year-old’s body. I’d ask you how you got to where you are today butttt that seems too heavy of a question for me to ask someone I don’t even know lol!

How do I beat the Monday blues?

Little Miss Debbie Downer (Deb is actually my name!)

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1. Waking up

• Give yourself a mani and pedi. Seemingly inconsequential, but if you’re going to be writing or typing away for the rest of the week, you may as well make the most of it. Do your eyes and hands a favor: there’s nothing like a freshly done manicure that are easy on the eyes and help you look put together. I love a pale blue (Revlon’s “Blue Lagoon”) or soft coral (Butter London “Trout Pout”) to start off the week on a happy note…
• Plan your outfit Sunday night. It makes getting ready in the morning a breeze, especially if you’re of the closet-full-of-clothes-but-nothing-to-wear camp. You can squeeze in some extra zzz’s, maybe indulge over a magazine and breakfast, or spend an extra few minutes on your daytime skincare regimen. Needless to say, planning also (a) removes the temptation of reaching for sweatpants (save it for the end of the week!) and (b) preventing any outfit mishaps that may incur when you’re still in a sleepwalking haze.
• Get some beauty sleep Sunday night. Princess Aurora of the famed Sleeping Beauty didn’t just get her beauty from certain talented Disney animators. Never underestimate a good night’s sleep: you’ll wake up less grumpy and exponentially more refreshed. If you’ve been bitten by the insomnia bug like I often am, make a playlist of your favorite tunes. There’s nothing like falling asleep to old-school R&B.
• Wake up to your favorite song. Forget the preset alarms. Shrill screeches are no way to start off every morning (it’s torture… alarms are meant for emergencies). Set up your clock—if people still use those old school things—or phone to your favorite radio station or favorite song. Mine has been “All My People” by Sasha Lopez for the past few months. It never fails to remind me of spending the last night in beautiful Montreal on a rooftop club…

2. Now that you’re awake…

• Awaken the senses. Be it 10 minutes of pilates, a good stretch or a quick twist, awaken your body. Light a candle. Spritz your pulse points with your favorite perfume—something from Diptyque is exquisite.

• Set your morning routine to music. Set the mood. I’m talking John Legend, Peggy Lee, Amy Winehouse, Michael Buble. Nothing like low-key sexy to get you feeling calm, cool and relaxed.

• Establish a beauty regimen. Look forward to doing something good for your skin every morning. Your skincare, bodycare and hair routine needn’t be extensive (mine’s all of a few steps, and I work in the beauty/skincare industry!), but it must be effective. Nothing beats an eye cream or Vitamin C serum if you’re looking to feel extra pampered. Same goes for your makeup routine—less is more. It’s those few steps and choice investment products that will make you feel (and look!) expensive.

• Wear a favorite or something new. Save the new purchases for Monday, kind of like you would save a certain outfit for a special occasion (I’m not a fan of this philosophy, but it works for most; I believe in everyday luxury and getting your wear out of the things you pay for!). Or, if nothing new is in store, reach for that just-washed stack of laundry. Freshly pressed shirts and dryer jeans fit incredibly well (so here’s to that confidence boost!).

• Eat a good breakfast. Be as simple or as decadent as you want. Just make sure it’s wholesome and covers all grounds: we’re talking grains, some dairy (if applicable) and fresh fruit. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day—incidentally it’s my favorite—because it gets those barely-awake brain cells a-movin’, jump starts your metabolism and helps curb unnecessary snacking. Right now I’m all about the hearty oatmeal-blueberries-flaxseed-pumpkinseed-granola combo with a cup of green tea and coffee, but it really depends on the mood. Sometimes I want a flaky croissant with jam; maybe I want a pesto-infused omelette. And sometimes, a good old bagel-and-cream-cheese hits the spot just right.

3. Make the little things count

• Treat yourself to a good cup of coffee. And I mean good. Don’t do it just for the surge in productivity levels (though that’s a major reason why I love it), do it for the taste. Go chai. Go caramel. Go cinnamon dolce. Blends make all the difference; my mom’s not a coffee drinker, but she keeps egging my dad to buy the better roast. Take it from the woman who knows it all. Quality over quantity.

• Wake up earlier. Do it. Get that groggy derriere of yours up and out of bed: I guarantee you it is worth it in the end. I used to consider myself a night owl (read: morning grumps are no fun!), but once I got into the habit of waking up around 6 a.m. during the school year, and 7:30 a.m. come summer, I totally had potential for being a morning person. I love it. Waking up with the sun makes you feel so beautiful and refreshed and reenergized! It means more time to squeeze in sun salutations, cuddles, and poring over magazines with breakfast in bed. Plus, there’s more hours in the day for work and play. A total win, if you ask me.

• Throw on a scarf. I say throw because it should look effortless and undone (that’s the trick to good style, apparently). I can’t quite pinpoint the reason why I feel sophisticated when I wear one, but it may have something to do with that European, ladylike look or a reminder of a super chic dance teacher I had back in the day (think Michael Kors Spring 2007’s ballet influences). The weather dictates the material, but anything in a thick knit, cashmere or silk blend not only elevates the outfit, but makes you feel all cozy. So it’s kind of like being in bed, still. Kind of. (We girls do what we need to do.)

• Reach for your signature. Comfort and confidence are key when you’re feeing the blues. A well-made sheath dress or pencil skirt are my go-tos for a pick-me-up; for you it might be jeans in a tee. If you wear something you know you’ll look and feel good in, those good vibes are guaranteed to transfer to you.

• Slip into a pair of heels. Completely self-explanatory. A little lift gives you stature and improves your posture (when worn right, however).

• Add one luxury item into the mix. First things first: expensive must function well; don’t buy anything for the sake of the label. That said, add one luxury item to your routine and you can’t help but feel special. It could be a certain serum or a face cream. Maybe it’s a hair oil. Perhaps it’s a certain highlighter—Dior Amber Diamond, I’m looking at you—or a luxe Tom Ford lipstick. If you’re not a beauty girl, maybe it’s your investment handbag or a certain piece of jewelry. You’re worth it (isn’t that what the L’Oreal ads say, anyway?)
• Go for the gold. A pale, pale cream with gold shimmer in the inner corner opens up the eyes instantly. Pair that with lashings of mascara and you have yourself a simple but beautiful makeup. Like they say, fake it ’til you make it. Look the part of wide-eyed morning beauty and you’ll begin feel like her.

• Text someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Or maybe someone special (wink, wink, nudge nudge). Send them something sweet Sunday night. Guaranteed, you’ll make their morning, and their reply will certainly make yours. Sometimes that’s all it takes to make the Monday blues go away. Sweet little nothings that mean all the world.
  

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x

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