From blues to breakthroughs: Kenyans’ love-hate relationship with Mondays

Monday, as the first day of the week, stirs mixed emotions for Kenya’s working class. For some, the ‘Monday blues’ dominate most of their work hours.

‘Monday blues’ refers to feelings of sadness, anxiety or lack of motivation at the start of the workweek, particularly on Mondays.

Though not a clinical diagnosis, it is a common phenomenon often linked to the transition from a relaxed weekend to the structure and demands of work.

In Kilimani, 25-year-old accountant Brian Munene admitted Monday is the worst day of his week.

With an outgoing personality, his weekend plans begin immediately after 5 pm on Fridays.

“Though I love my accounting job, I have to admit that my weekend plan is the only thing that makes it easier for me to wake up every morning and religiously go to work for five days,” Munene said.

Whether alone or with friends, his weekends are packed with high-intensity activities. An ‘adrenaline junkie’, Munene has sought thrills since his first skydive last year.

“Just last Saturday, my boys and I decided to go to Karen and do the giant swing where we were hoisted up 8m and pulled with a quick release, I am still making fun of them for screaming hysterically mid-way,” he said with a smile.

But after a weekend chasing adrenaline, the thought of returning to a monotonous 8-to-5 schedule puts him in a sour mood.

Nursing body aches on Sunday nights, he sometimes scrolls through Twitter hoping for news of an event, like maandamano, that might allow him to work from home.

“Even at the office, the mood seems to dampen on Mondays; clients we interact with are more frustrated and deadlines for workloads come out of left field,” he said.

In Thika, 30-year-old nurse Jacinta Nekesa described Mondays as “the epitome of her worst nightmare.” A lover of eight hours’ sleep, she finds waking up on Monday mornings requires “a lot of inner strength.”

“My mom has always warned me from a young age that sleep would be my kryptonite when I got employed in future, I hate to admit that she was right,” she said.

Before starting her current hospital job, Nekesa spent a week searching for affordable housing closer to work. Her efforts failed, forcing her to commute from Thika.

“Since weekends are my off days, I spend most of the hours curled in my bed sleeping; you can therefore imagine how mentally draining it is for me to wake up at four on a Monday morning just to beat traffic,” she said.

Mondays are also the busiest at her hospital. After connecting two matatus to get to work, she finds a line of patients already spilling out of the waiting room by 7 am.

“I do enjoy interacting with my patients, but I have to acknowledge that on a Monday, my normal giddy personality is a rarity,” Nekesa said.

Even after work, her day doesn’t end. She rushes through evening traffic to attend physical classes.

“One Monday evening, my professor denied me entry because I was half an hour late; that alone ruined my mood for the whole week,” she said.

But not all Kenyans dread Mondays. In Westlands, 40-year-old teacher Joe Omondi looks forward to them. With 18 years of teaching experience, he says Mondays set the pace for the week.

“In my first year of teaching, I would project my Monday mood swings on my students by being unnecessarily blunt; some of my students at the time dreaded me on Mondays,” Omondi said.

After self-reflection, he changed his approach. He now greets students warmly, holds relaxed Monday classes outdoors, and rewards active participation with treats.

“After eighteen years in my teaching profession, I can attest to the fact that your mentality is crucial for handling Mondays; a happy Monday simply leads to a happy week,” he said.

For 29-year-old waitress Marcia Chepkirui from Kangemi, ‘Monday blues’ don’t exist. After six years of unsuccessfully looking for work, her current job in a high-end hotel is a relief.

Coming from a humble background and barely finishing high school, she took a short catering course, knowing it was her only path out of poverty.

“You can therefore imagine my utter disappointment after I failed to secure a waitressing job immediately after I completed the course, the depression in this phase was no child’s play,” she said.

Now employed with a steady income, she can meet her needs and help her family upcountry.

“I would rather go through a lifetime of ‘Monday blues’ than be tossed back to the dark abyss of unemployment; my lucky stars have finally aligned, and I couldn’t be happier,” she said.