 Hi. I'm Dr. Tom Unger. I'm a psychiatrist at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. I've been helping people with their mental health for a long time now, and I've got a mental health minute for you. If you don't like Mondays, you're not alone. It's pretty common for people to feel a little down or sad on Mondays. I mean, who wouldn't want a longer weekend or more free time for themselves? Sometimes it starts with feeling worried or anxious on Sunday nights at the thought of going back to school or work. Some people will worry about a specific class or project they're struggling with, while for others maybe it's just an overall Monday dread. These feelings might start at different points on a Sunday or really kick in when it's time for bed. Lots of people have difficulty falling asleep because their mind is racing, thinking of a zillion different things going on in their life. There are a few different ways you might be able to beat the Monday blues. Try the mountain see what works best for you. The first is having enjoyable things to do on Sunday, like a nice meal, an evening movie or seeing friends and family. It's partly to distract yourself from the automatic thoughts about Monday that might pop into your head, but also to have something nice to finish the weekend. The second is about actually getting to sleep on Sunday night. When you have all sorts of things running through your head, it can be hard to relax and drift off to sleep. There are some simple changes you can make. One that's a good idea for any night of the week is to avoid looking at screens right before bed. It's pretty hard for your brain to go straight from scrolling through pictures or sending emails to sleep mode. Instead, aim for about half an hour of something relaxing. Maybe try a guided meditation or muscle relaxation program. There are all sorts of these available on YouTube. Some include calm music or nature sounds to help. Try some different ones and see what you like best. If you find yourself lying in bed and can't stop thinking about all the things you need to do that week, try writing down the big ones on a piece of paper. It can help to just put a name on some of the worries and literally get them out of your head. The list will be there for you in the morning, so you don't have to worry about remembering everything. The third thing you can do is planning something positive to start your week, like scheduling to meet a friend or colleague regularly on Monday mornings for a short walk or coffee before heading off to school or work. This gives you something to look forward to, as well as starting the day with a good experience. Socializing is great for our mental health in many different ways, so spending time with friends and family is almost always a good idea. By Tuesday, most people are feeling better again, back in the groove of their regular routine. Like we said, these Monday blues are really common for a lot of people. It's worth noting that for some, the Monday blues might be part of something else. If these feelings last for a week or two, like if you are pretty consistently feeling a little sad or cranky, having problems sleeping, lacking energy, or not interested or motivated to do the things you normally enjoy, these are all signs you might be experiencing more than just the Monday blues. They could actually be part of a medical mood disorder called clinical depression. Now clinical depression isn't black and white. People can experience all sorts of variations. The good news is there's help available. You can take the first step by talking to the people that care about you. This can be your friends, family, teachers, or even your family doctor or other health care provider. If you're not comfortable talking to someone you know, try reaching out to kids' health phone or another health agency as a place to start. So we all have experiences like the Monday blues. These are just part of life. Hopefully these ideas can help you deal with it and also understand the kinds of experiences that mean you should talk to someone about it. Hope you enjoyed this. I'm Dr. Tom Unger with your Mental Health Minute.