The rise of "bare minimum" Mondays
Workers are pushing back on burnout with "bare minimum" Mondays
“I think we’re seeing a rejection of hustle culture manifest in lots of different ways and bare minimum Monday is one of them.”
– Marisa Jo, Content Creator & Start-up Co-Founder
Sunday scaries. We’ve all been there. Just as you’ve shaken off your responsibilities and started to relax into your weekend freedom, it’s Sunday evening again and the familiar feeling of dread begins to set in. The knot in your stomach returns as thoughts of your overflowing inbox flood in.
Looking for a solution? Enter the latest TikTok trend: Bare Minimum Mondays. Coined by Content Creator & Start-up Co-Founder, Marisa Jo, it’s the concept of reserving the first day of the week for light work only i.e. the ‘bare minimum.’ But don’t get it twisted, it doesn’t mean doing no work at all; simply the essential tasks only. The tougher, more demanding jobs are saved for later in the week.
The idea is all about introducing boundaries and self-care. By gently easing yourself into the working week, it’s thought to help reduce feelings of anxiety and stress and prevent “hustle culture” burnout.
Sound appealing? Of course, it does. Work-induced burnout is a serious issue. The Huffington Post found that ‘over 90% of millennials and Gen Z workers say they experience these feelings, along with 80% of professionals overall.’
Team Building likens Bare Minimum Mondays to “quiet quitting,” where ‘employees do the least work required to stay employed.’ Examples of this practice include condensing your to-do list, attending ‘only important meetings, starting Monday with a self-care routine, and taking a break from checking emails.’
How can Bare Minimum Mondays be helpful?
Tackles anxiety and stress
Helps to prevent burnout
Encourages self-care and boundaries
Improves work-life balance
Amplifies productivity
Increases staff retention
But not everyone is on board with the new productivity hack. The Guardian warns that ‘this strategy does come with some significant risks’ and argues that the new slang is a result of ‘Gen Z pretending to have invented slacking off again.’
Why is it a good idea to take Bare Minimum Mondays with a pinch of salt?
Everything is subjective - What works for one person, might not work for someone else. Some workers may prefer to tick off the more difficult tasks at the start of the week to make the rest of the week more manageable. Adopting this approach may end up leaving you with more jobs to do in less amount of time.
Privilege of choice - Not all businesses can afford to allow such flexibility on deadlines. Some bosses may not be so generous as to let team members skip important Monday meetings simply because they don’t feel like it. And what about customer-facing roles? We can’t imagine a barista serving water instead of coffee (all in the name of ‘self-care’) going down very well with customers, can you?
The knock-on effect - There’s a fear that the laid-back ethos is encouraging a new culture of laziness, with Bare Min Mondays rolling into Trickle Down Tuesdays, then Wind Down Wednesdays. Before you know it, it’s Friyay and the to-do list is still looking rather full…
Career Trends Expert, Jill Cotton told Fortune that ultimately, employees just want autonomy: ‘I think that it’s less about the Bare Minimum Mondays having an impact on productivity and more about employees and employers working together to create the most productive workplace possible.’
So, what’s our verdict? Like most trends, it’s best to tread carefully. Don’t just change the way you work because of a popular phenomenon. Do your own research and adopt a holistic approach towards productivity, where possible.
For more information, visit our Insights page.
Techish podcast is back!
Your Tuesdays just got better: You can now enjoy the podcast by subscribing on YouTube.