Why you need a Super Bowl every weekend
(MoneyWatch) Around 4 p.m. on Sunday most weekends, a funny thing starts to happen. While people are still, technically, off of work, they start thinking about Monday morning. They picture their cold, rainy commutes. They worry about the projects that aren't done. They cringe thinking about belligerent colleagues who can spend two straight hours in a staff meeting complaining. As a result, the stress of Monday ruins much of Sunday. Call it the Sunday night blues.
But this coming weekend? Not so much. Come 4 p.m. Sunday, millions of people will be getting ready to get together with friends to watch the Super Bowl. Whether they care about the teams or not, they'll be hanging out with people they care about, enjoying time together, celebrating and laughing. Instead of thinking about Monday morning, they'll be anticipating an enjoyable evening, thus extending the weekend for several hours -- right up until bedtime Sunday night.
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To be sure, the excess of Super Bowl Sunday tends to make the following Monday a wee bit less productive. Nonetheless, making the Super Bowl mindset a regular part of your weekends could make a big difference in your life. What could you do on Sunday evenings to keep your mind off Monday until you decide to focus on it? Potluck dinners with friends are a great idea -- you still get the fun of a party but no one needs to cook much. You could go see a movie with your family. You could volunteer regularly with a non-profit you care about. You could take a Zumba class or go for a long bike ride (once it's light in the evenings) or have a standing dessert date with your spouse. The point is to plan something for Sunday nights that you'd look forward to, much as people are anticipating their Super Bowl parties this weekend. While that won't get rid of Monday's stress, at least you'll confine it to fewer hours.
What could you do to make a Super Bowl mindset part of your weekends?
Photo courtesy flickr user Elvert Barnes
