Why do people hate Mondays but love Fridays?

I turned on the radio and what greeted me was: “It is Monday again.” This sounded like a complaint of some sorts because the presenter sounded like she was not yet out of bed and had not tuned her mind that it was a work day. As we all know, Monday marks the start of […]

I turned on the radio and what greeted me was: “It is Monday again.” This sounded like a complaint of some sorts because the presenter sounded like she was not yet out of bed and had not tuned her mind that it was a work day. As we all know, Monday marks the start of the work-week, while Friday ushers in the weekend.
In most parts of the world, work resumes on Monday after the weekend; it is also a day when schools and businesses reopen. It is a day that marks the resumption of the hustling and bustling of life, especially in towns and cities. But many people still remain stressed up after the two-day break, reason why many hate Mondays. Friday on the other hand is a day people look forward to; to take a breather, hang out with friends and forget about the stress of the five-day work-week. A cross-section of people were asked about their perception of these two crucial days and their responses are as varied as they are interesting.
Demuzah James, a farmer, said, “I am self-employed and really do not have designated days to work or rest but the fact is that when it is Friday there is this feeling of relaxation. When you go out during the weekend there is more serenity, fewer cars on the roads, hence less (traffic) hold ups, there is also less rush, unlike the week days where you see everybody rushing back and forth.  During weekends, I get to spend more time with my family because everybody is at home; my kids are home, so also my wife.”
Ifunanya Edward, opines that: “To me, Monday marks the beginning of stress in my life. I work in a construction firm and all through the week, I have to be in one building site to another, when I am on these sites I get to climb countless storey buildings, inspect and supervise what the masons are doing, ensuring they follow the drawings as stipulated by the architect. During this activity in relation to my job, I get so tired and stressed out that when it is Monday I feel like turning back the hands of time back to the weekend. Though I dislike Mondays, I still like it because without working the week days, there wouldn’t have been work, and no work, no money! So it is a mixed feeling all together.”
Amaka Okoro, a mother of two, says: “Sometimes I wish Monday doesn’t exist but it does and we always be. Having to wake up as early as five in the morning every day to get my kids ready for school can be very tiring. But then again, let’s be realistic, without Mondays many things would not have been, that is why I am glad that not all wishes made come true. I may complain about Monday because of it being the beginning of a new week but all the same I am glad it still comes.” Sounding biblical, Okoro adds that: “God already said it to man, that, he must till the ground and sweat before he would eat. So I believe, because we know that Monday signifies a day of serious business and work that is why people get angry about it, but notwithstanding whether you like it or not, Monday or no Monday, man must work to eat.”
Maxwell Okoro, a seven-year-old primary pupil, notes that: “I don’t like Mondays because mummy gets to wake me up early so I can prepare for school, I prefer Fridays because after it is Saturday, which is the weekend and I get to play with my friends and toys at will, I also don’t have to wake up early for school. More so, I get to spend time with my dad who during the weekdays goes to work early and comes back late when I must have slept.”
But Joyce Esike, a nurse, is indifferent about both days, thanks to her profession. “I am in different about both days because my profession does not work as some other professions do. My profession makes me work on shift basis; hence there are times when Monday can serve as my own weekday and Friday all though a weekend would be my workday. So, whenever my shift falls into place determines which day I dislike at the moment. But even with that, I think I like it when my shift falls on Friday because that is the weekend and a chance for you to spend time with your family that would not be around if you are off work on Monday.”
Ibukunola Amao, a youth corps member, loves Mondays, when she does her mandatory community service, also known as CD. “There are days set aside for corps members when you have to report to your zone or a designated location for what we refer to as ‘CD,’ on that day you are not supposed to report to your place of primary assignment, mine falls on a Monday, thereby making my weekend extend to Monday and free of work stress. So I don’t totally dislike Mondays but still prefer Fridays to it.”
Adoabi Okoye, an intern with a Nigerian agency, says: “I wish Monday was human, I would have been looking forward to meeting it because I would immediately punch my fist through its face on first meeting; this is the extent to which I dislike it. After relaxing all through the weekend, removing your mind off work, then Monday comes to serve as a reminder that the week of work, hustling and stress has begun. Almost every time I wake up on Monday, I get angry and unnecessarily pissed off, not with anybody but with the fact that it is a Monday and I have to be at work early, I have to go through traffic because of everybody rushing to get to their different places of work.”
Mondays are usually never fun at work for most people, but experts say they don’t have to be stressful if you plan ahead. Instead of just waiting for the workweek to end so you could have fun, begin to plan ahead to make next week start out fantastic. How you spend your weekend most often determines how you feel on Monday, they added.