THAT MONDAY-MORNING FEELING.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17645, 23 December 1922, Page 5

THAT MONDAY-MORNING FEELING.

(By a Psychologist.) There may be a few superhumans who rise superior to all Monday-moming feelings, but. ordinary people such as you and I' do not. Prima facie, after the respite from toil and the relaxation of the week-end we should return to our work like giants refreshed. „ But we dp not. The harness is put on unwillingly ; mental effort is a burden. And this happens equa.ly whether \va have been trampling across the golf links or sitting in church. Perhaps a little investigation of the nature of this almost universal feeling may. help us to overcome it and give u> the clue to d'ispcse of the working hours of the week to the best advantage. The week-end respite is essential. Froperly taken, we return on Monday with heart and lungs invigorated, nerves and muscles toned up, and blood purified. All these are in better going order, and therefore phytic;;! toil and routine mental tasks are accomplished with ease and vigour. But the mind stands in a. class by, itself. It resembles in its method of working one of those blast furnaces you see in the Blaclt Country and elsewhere, which, once damped down, need a great deal of stoking to create the necessary draught to get going at full 'pressure again. There is inertia to bet overcome. ' , The higher centres of the brain, and) particularly those- involved in creative work and' severe mental tasks, are damped down over the week-end, end Will not work at full pressure promptly at nine o'clock on Mondiy morning. This is common experience. -Artists, authors, all whose work demands intense absorption, cannot plunge the mind into full work straightaway after a 36-hours respite. It has-to be coaxed into full action gradually, or the result is a poor effort. „• It would be found, if it could be investigated, that the greatest mental efforts are, accomplished •on Tuesday or later in the week not on Monday. This gives us ai hint. Do not attempt your great work on Mond'ay morning; do not arrange a difficult and vital interview for that morning ; do not fighfe a battle at that time. The higher centres of the brain are then at zero, with their blood supply damped dow i. If summoned, they will go into action unwillingly and with difficulty, and will soon tire. On Sunday night we may think of the herculean me-ital rffo<'; to be mads in the morning, but thev do Pot materialise. There is precious little inspiration a.bout them. Reserve that morning for easy routine efforts. Plan and think and poqder. But do noti create. By Tuesday th-j fires that stoke and' feed the brain will be in full blast. Then go ahead.