Bare Minimum Monday (BMM) is increasingly popular among workers in response to burnout and high work pressure. For some employees, Monday may be the scariest day of the week. No kidding. Going back to work after relaxing and resting on the weekend can be exhausting. Many people are stressed and lack enthusiasm on their first day of work. No wonder the expression I hate Monday comes up.
This is a common expression used to express dislike for Mondays. The expression is popular in workplace culture, memes, and casual conversations, symbolizing the universal struggle in the transition from relaxation to productivity.
However, what if we look at Monday from a different perspective? That is, making Monday a cheerful, productive, and balanced day? The term Bare Minimum Monday emerged.
A Brief Overview of Bare Minimum Monday
BMM is an employee initiative to do the minimum amount of work needed on Monday, which marks the start of the work week. BMM adherents can start work later and prioritize self-care activities. In this way, stress and anxiety are expected to decrease.
This does not mean that employees do not work at all. Employees only work on tasks that are really important and urgent. Another thing to note is that Bare Minimum Monday does not mean lazing around or avoiding responsibility. The main goal is to be able to do the root of the job more efficiently and intelligently.
Benefits of Implementing BMM
The term Bare Minimum Monday was first coined in 2022 by Marisa Jo Mayes on TikTok with the username “itsmarisajo”. The term responds to work fatigue due to anxiety on Sundays, a culture of hard work, and worker exploitation.
By implementing BMM, it is hoped that people will no longer be anxious on Sundays because of the workload on Mondays. Employees don’t have to get their work done in one day. Next, reduce the risk of burnout. Energy and focus can be maintained so that the spirit of work does not fade in the following days. BMM builds balanced work habits. By not rushing directly at the beginning of the week, we can create a more sustainable work pattern and not burden ourselves too much.
How to Implement BMM
The following steps can be tried in order to implement BMM.
First, take time to plan next week’s activities. This can be done on Friday after working hours. Determine which tasks are the most important and most urgent. After that, determine the tasks that are important but not urgent. Don’t think too much about non-urgent and non-essential tasks.
Second, before doing other activities, work on the most important and most urgent tasks.
Third, if possible, make a schedule of meetings and gatherings other than Mondays. It’s best to use Mondays to work on individual tasks. But of course, it is impossible for us to always avoid meetings on Mondays. If so, make a clear agenda, and don’t take too long.
Fourth, set aside specific time for each task. For example, three hours in the morning to work on the main task. Take a short break before doing other tasks.
Fifth, after a few weeks, consider whether BMM has increased productivity and reduced stress. The results are used to adjust the strategy as needed.
Challenges in Implementing Bare Minimum Monday
The reality is that implementing BMM is not easy. Not all workloads can be reduced on Mondays. There are also employees who tend to be lazy because they implement BMM. Again, that is not the purpose of BMM, but rather to maintain productivity in the long term. Besides, it is not always easy to determine which tasks are really important.
MMM can indeed reduce the workload on Mondays. But there are consequences: work can pile up in the following days. If so, this only shifts the pressure from Monday to the following days.
MMM can also have an impact on team collaboration. If some team members implement MMM while others continue to work at a normal pace, this can hinder collaboration and disrupt the team’s workflow. Otherwise, BMM can be counterproductive for employees. If employees do not have a positive or constructive attitude or are not truly committed to getting the job done, be prepared to be targeted for layoffs.
After all, BMM is only a short-term solution. If they are constantly suffering from stress or overworking, employees should discuss this with their superiors so that healthier working conditions can be created.
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