It’s hard. You just want to wad up your jersey and use it to wipe your tears, forlorn at not just your team’s failure to qualify, but at the end of the entire season in general. No more TDs, no more quality commercials, no more pop beats at halftime. But, Sunday, like the big game, is over, and you have to go back to work. Here’s how you can survive both the Monday blues and the football hangover.

  1. Eat a healthy breakfast. After a night of wings and chips, a healthy breakfast will help you gain much-needed energy for the week ahead. Instead of thinking of it as the end of football season, imagine it’s a fresh start for some new habits, instead. You can be the MVP of the off-season.
  2. Plan out your week in advance. Like the pros, you should have a playbook of how your week will go. This will help you stay on task, and each item you check off will make you feel like you can conquer this Monday.
  3. Throw yourself into your work. Are we laying it on a bit thick? Maybe. But is it still true? Yes. Focusing fully on your work will help you forget that your team wasn’t bad enough to get the first draft pick but not good enough to make the playoffs, either.
  4. Start a sports league in the office. With your fantasy league ending, now could be the time to pick up a sport off-screen. Work volleyball will help improve your relationships with your colleagues, and thus your overall enjoyment at work, and it will keep you connected to the sports world even though football is over.
  5. Remember that Monday is temporary. Even if it feels long, Football Hangover Monday will be over soon. And before you know it, it’ll be August and you’ll be ready for some football again.
  6. Finally, find a job that gives you purpose. What if I told you that you didn’t have to dread Mondays at all? (Although, in the case of Football Hangover Day, there may really be no avoiding it). If you feel that what you do matters, you’ll look forward to doing it. And then you might even like going to work on Monday.