Bare Minimum Monday: A critical look at the TikTok trend

“Bare Minimum Monday” is a new trend on TikTok that is becoming increasingly popular, especially among younger generations.

This trend was sparked by Marisa Jo Mayes, a 29-year-old start-up founder from the United States and TikTok user with the handle @itsmarisajo. The hashtag #bareminimummondays currently has more than 4 million on TikTok.

But what does this trend actually mean and how realistic is its implementation for employees? Since Marisa instituted the term, it has gained a lot of attention (especially in the United States), including from mainstream media. The actual teaching is often misunderstood, and Bare Minimum Monday is dismissed as wishful thinking.

What does the term mean?

“Bare Minimum Monday” basically means doing the minimum on Monday. You should limit yourself to things that cannot be postponed. It’s not about intentionally doing nothing or being unproductive, but rather about using your time wisely and taking the (unnecessary) pressure off. The goal: start the new week stress-free.

What should he do?

Bare Minimum Monday is not intended to encourage unproductivity or inactivity, quite the opposite. With these measures Marisa can use her time more productively. In addition, possible burnout must be taken into account.

Characteristics of burnout include lack of energy and exhaustion, negativity toward one’s work, or reduced professional resilience. Marisa also suffered from burnout. Bare Minimum Monday helps her avoid falling into excessive productivity and maintain a better work-life balance.

How exactly does Marisa imagine it?

The founder lets her followers participate in the implementation of her principle. She advises:

• One that is realistic and actionable To-do list Create a list that contains only the most important tasks of the day
• With one easy task Start the day by reducing your inhibitions (for example organizing/tidying up the workplace)
• Don’t check your email early in the morning (the feeling of always having new tasks can lead to demotivation)
• No meeting on the Assembly place
• Something on the weekend Do something pleasant for MondayIt doesn’t necessarily have to be something work-related
  (e.g. writing in a diary or treating yourself to a special snack)

According to her own statement, Marisa limits her working hours on Mondays to a maximum of two hours. The rest of the day she does the things she enjoys.

Is it realistic?

As part of the attention that Bare Minimum Monday has already attracted, many critical voices are being expressed. This is unrealistic wishful thinking because employers would not agree with the principle and it cannot be implemented everywhere.

Teachers, doctors and nurses are just a few examples of professional fields where Bare Minimum Monday is simply not possible. Furthermore, there is already a shortage of skilled workers, leading to reduced job performance. Such adjustments would make the situation even worse.

It should be noted that Marisa is self-employed and can therefore freely organize her working hours. Bare Minimum Monday can be implemented especially for self-employed workers, for people working in start-ups or increasingly in home offices.

Is it even necessary?

A representative study conducted by Yougov on behalf of Monster found that only 10% of respondents are worried about Monday.

On the other hand, 20% already plan their working day on Monday and Sunday and as many as 22% say they cannot use the weekend (enough) to relax. This raises the question of the legitimacy and necessity of a trend like Bare Minimum Monday. This is a small group of those who can actually implement the principle, and the actual positive effects have not yet been studied.

However, other increasingly well-known trends, such as “quiet quitting”, also suggest that a lack of motivation in the workplace is a serious problem for both employees and employers. Effective measures should be taken to counter this phenomenon as quickly as possible.

You’ve never heard of it.»Don’t worry“Have you heard about it or are wondering how it works? Then read more about it here:

Now, should you do a Bare Minimum Monday?

The Bare Minimum Monday trend popularized by Tiktoker Mariso Jo Mayes, where you only do the bare minimum on Monday to start the week, has limited applicability. However, it is particularly suitable for people at risk of burnout, ambitious and perfectionists. These people often struggle with work-life balance, and a more relaxed start to the week could prevent burnout.

However, psychiatrist Nahid Dave offers another perspective on the Bare Minimum Monday trend. He believes Monday is not the problem, just the symptom. The cause of increased motivation and productivity problems at the beginning of the working week is rather a general dissatisfaction with work. This could be, for example, a feeling of lack of appreciation, an unpleasant working environment or undemanding and repetitive tasks.

These perceptions are among the best-known workplace stressors that can negatively impact employee and employer satisfaction. If you would like to learn more about the topic of “workplace stress” – and how to minimize it – read on here:

According to Dave, many employees also feel that the weekend was not used optimally. This statement is supported by the findings of the above study. This raises the question of whether Bare Minimum Monday is an immature attempt to counter problems perceived by many employees.

A possible alternative to the problems of unproductivity and lack of rest after the weekend could be the much discussed 4-day week. In the near future you will find a comparison of topics for the 4-day week in our blog posts.

Conclusion

#bareminimummonday is an often misunderstood trend that isn’t based on inaction, but on prioritizing important tasks and making productive use of limited time.

First of all, this trend shows us how important it is to consciously take time for ourselves and allow ourselves to sometimes slow down. By focusing on doing the bare minimum and not getting overwhelmed by an endless to-do list, we can stay focused on our goals and focus on what matters. At the same time, a more mindful approach to “Bare Minimum Monday” can also help us improve our overall well-being.

Bare Minimum Monday can only be implemented for limited groups of workers, such as self-employed workers or employees with flexible working hours. However, Bare Minimum Monday measures can particularly help perfectionists and people at risk of burnout to establish a healthier work-life balance.

Ultimately, trends such as Bare Minimum Monday or Quiet Quitting and, last but not least, the growing popularity of the 4-day week clearly demonstrate that work-life balance is becoming more and more important for employees and therefore represents an increasingly important tool for employers to ensure employee satisfaction.