
Ah, Mondays—the universal nemesis, slayer of Sunday serenity, and official mascot of dread. Today marks the first Monday of 2025, a day that looms large after festive season late nights, champagne-induced resolutions, and what some might call a “creative reinvention of sleeping patterns.”
It’s impossible to think about Mondays without conjuring Rupert Hine’s “Medicine Munday,” a tune whose very spelling hints at the medicinal doses required to face the day. And then there’s the infamous “I Don’t Like Mondays” by The Boomtown Rats, with that scary line , “I Want to Shoot the Whole Day Down.” (We’re all in agreement there.) Mondays, it seems, inspire more musical tributes than any other day—perhaps because they’re a shared ordeal, like group therapy without the snacks.
But here we are. The holiday glitter has faded, and the grind calls. For the working folks, it’s about transforming back into economic entities, making money, and herding those stray brain cells. For retirees, Mondays bring the equally grisly task of spreadsheets, expense calculations, and the soul-draining reality of getting the Wi-Fi to work again.
Is there a strategy to tackle this day? Absolutely not, but we all muddle through. Artists might hover hesitantly over the drawing board. Writers and creators—likely bleary-eyed from a midnight snack of inspiration—fire up their AI tools with cautious optimism. But no matter your craft or occupation, the first Monday demands not a leap, but a shuffle.
If there’s any solace, it’s this: Mondays are finite. By Tuesday, you’ll breathe easier, reassured that you’ve survived one of this year’s 52 Mondays (yes, I did the math, so you didn’t have to). The key to survival? Take it slow. Like the tortoise, ease into the day, inch by inch, caffeine by caffeine.
And if all else fails, remember that even Monday, despite its flaws, holds a glimmer of possibility. After all, if Rupert Hine could turn it into a song, surely you can turn it into something tolerable.
Here’s to the first Monday—and the relief that comes after it.