By the time Friday rolls around, it’s normal to feel burnt out; five whole days of throwing our very best (or at least what we think can pass as our very best) into our jobs, and we just need a break, right? But then comes the dreaded Monday, and we feel even worse than we did on Friday. Chin up, working people, because there are some things that you can do on a Friday to not only give yourself some drive and purpose, but these things will also make your Mondays a million times easier!

1. Leave surprises for yourself.

It can be anything from your favorite snack tucked away in one of your drawers, a gift card to your favorite cafe in your glovebox, or even a follow-up e-mail from someone you reached out to Friday. Give yourself something to really look forward to by thinking about what it is you typically need or crave when you have the Monday Blues, and then plan ahead! Hide the surprises, find them, and live out the rest of the workday happy!

2. Go ahead and schedule your next week, and maybe change it up!

You know what needs to get done, because it’s your schedule, so break out that planner and give yourself breaks at different times of the day, or give yourself an extra fifteen minutes before work to do something you love. Pro tip: schedule any meetings for the middle of the week, so you’re in your work swing and on top of your game!

3. Clean your workspace.

It’s way too stressful to arrive at work and see that your work area is an absolute disaster, and you don’t need any more stress than you’re already under, so tidy up before you leave for the weekend! Declutter, organize, do whatever will make your heart happiest.

4. Work ahead.

If you know that there is a big project due on a Monday, use your Friday to break into that and complete it if possible. Taking the stress of the project or task will make your Monday a million times easier and leave you in for a smooth sailing into a new work week.

5. Leave encouraging tips for yourself.

If there was an event or a behavior that you didn’t find at all savory in your ending work week, then jot down some tips for yourself on how to avoid that same outcome or reaction; learn from your mistakes and roll with it. But don’t just focus on the bad things and how to improve them; tell yourself what you did right that week, so you can continue expanding on that behavior.

6. Show appreciation to your co-workers who have been particularly helpful to you that week. Write them an e-mail, a note, a paper airplane — whatever works, so long as they know that they did a good job. Sometimes we just need a little pat on the head to make our days better.

What would you do on a Friday to help make your Monday Blues vanish? Let us know in the comments!