How to get that Friday feeling – on a Monday
If Monday morning is a struggle for you, you’re surely not alone. Let’s face it, probably most of us have woken up on a Monday morning dreading the week ahead and wishing we could stay in bed.
Now one woman in Cardiff is trying to change our experience of Mondays and give a kick-start to our working weeks.
“My goal is to switch the focus from Friday evening to Monday morning,” said Georgina Jones, whose Cardiff-based personal development company Turn The Lights On runs a monthly event called #MondayLikeAFriday.
“Everyone, following work on a Friday, goes to the pub and connects with other people. I feel we could have that on a Monday morning, with the difference there’s no alcohol.”
Instead of an overcrowded train or crawling through a traffic jam, participants go to a bar, listen to live music and drink non-alcoholic cocktails.
Or they can dance to a silent disco, do some yoga or just sit around and chat.
“I believe we have to enjoy what we do or change our mindset,” said Ms Jones, who worked at Admiral before setting out as an entrepreneur.
“We spend so much time in work, the thought of not liking what you do… It opens their eyes to maybe doing something else.”
#MondayLikeAFriday takes place every month and began in January. This month’s event took place in The Dead Canary, but previous events have happened at 29 Park Place.
The average number attending is around 35, and people come from companies such as Admiral, John Lewis, the ONS and the Prince’s Trust, as well as freelancers and entrepreneurs.
“It opens up people’s minds. People go to work with a different level of energy,” said Ms Jones.
She was inspired by the Morning Glory events in London, which have seen as many as 500 people crowd into the Shard or the Ministry of Sound for an alcohol-free rave before going to work.
“The most energetic people are the best for customer service and sales,” she said.
“My job is to make people feel great before they go to work.”
She added: “My goal is to fill somewhere like the Tramshed. Like any movement, it takes time. We’re getting more people coming back and have our regulars.”
It costs £10 to get in, and the price includes breakfast. What happens varies but can include a live band, a silent disco where people wear headphones and choose their own playlists, yoga, exercises and talks on subjects like mindfulness.
“In the first five minutes you can see people thinking, ‘This is a bit odd’, but after 20 minutes they’re on the dance floor,” said Ms Jones.
“Not everyone wants to dance or be an extrovert, so you can just sit and have a drink and some food if you want.”
She added: “It’s about having some fun and connecting with people. Everywhere you see the impact of stress – we take the tension off people and lift their moods.”
The next #MondayLikeAFriday event is in November.