“Slacking” on a Monday could help set people up for a productive week, according to a wellbeing mentor.
Speaking on GB News, Ruth Tongue, Director of wellbeing firm Elevate, said those who have had a “hectic” weekend could benefit with a “slower start” to the week in order to reduce feelings of anxiety.
Asked by Eamonn Holmes about whether "slacking" can be beneficial, Tongue said: “Absolutely, in a certain instance, so for some people that’s going to be brilliant.
“If you’re someone who struggles with anxiety, particularly if you’ve had a really hectic weekend and haven’t had much downtime.
“We’ve all experienced the Sunday scares before. For those sorts of people, having a slower start to Monday, being able to cancel some of those meetings and perhaps have a shorter to-do list, that’s really going to help to reduce anxiety.”
Isabel Webster questioned Tongue over a new trend that suggests workers are doing less to kick off their week in a bid to reduce stress, saying people should “surely start prioritising their work and not pack their weekend so they can start the week in a professional manner”.
The Director of Elevate said: “I agree, we do need to look at what we’re doing over our weekends, to ensure we do have that rest and relaxation so were not feeling massively overwhelmed on Sunday night.
“But unfortunately for lots of people, if they’ve only got a two-day weekend, that’s a chance to catch-up with friends, get some admin done, perhaps that’s an argument for the four-day week we’re seeing a lot of now.”
Ruth Tongue says working less in the early stages of the week could be beneficial
Image: GB News
‘Bare Minimum Monday’ is a new trend, coined by a TikTok creator named Marisa Jo who claims opening the week with minimal key admin and prep jobs is the optimal manner in which to do so.
Doing less work is said to be beneficial for ‘self-care’, and Ruth Tongue states there is an argument ‘Bare Minimum Monday’ improves “mental wellbeing”.
“We’re trying to create cultures where people are excited about work,” she added.
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“They feel supported, they feel listened to, so if we’re ignoring what people are asking for as employers, we’re going to be in real trouble.”
Isabel Webster probed Tongue on the matter, stating the UK currently harbours the least productive workforce in the G7, and people will be “looking at us and laughing” at the suggestion of a ‘Bare Minimum Monday’.
Tongue argued: “potentially, but I think we need to look at what makes people productive, and its what makes people feel valued and trusted.
“For example, we saw during Covid when everyone was working from home, employers were really worried that productivity levels would plummet, and actually the opposite happened.
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“People can be trusted and they must be trusted to have more control over their working practices if we want to increase productivity.”
Ruth Tongue said employers must “move with the times” in order to help improve productivity across the UK.
She added: “We need to listen to people and what they want and what they need.
“Life is stressful so we’ve got to not underestimate the impact that things like the cost of living crisis is having on people’s stress levels.
“As employers, we’ve got to help people with that.”