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10 Ways to Make Next Week Better

Christine F Della Monaca | Monster Featured Writer
On one of the last episodes of “Seinfeld,” the main characters are stuck in traffic on a Sunday night. Galpal Elaine, who desperately wants to get home, wails, “All I know is that it’s Sunday night, and I have got to unwind! Now, who’s with me?”
If perpetually single Elaine felt that way, you can imagine how the rest of us – especially workers with families – cope on Sundays. But while some have their own ways to decompress before the workweek starts (Elaine watched “60 Minutes”), others spend Sunday nights either worrying about the upcoming week or trying not to think about it at all.
There are better ways to prepare.
“It all goes back to choices, and a lot of people choose to go the negative route,” says Joel Zeff, author of Make the Right Choice: Creating a Positive, Innovative and Productive Work Life. “Why not go the [positive] way? It’s less stressful.”
And while you may think planning is a drag, the truth is that the more you plan your life, the more you reduce your stress and increase your sense of control, says Steve Prentice, president of professional education firm Bristall Morgan and author of Cool Time: A Hands-On Plan for Managing Work and Balancing Time. “I always say that planning gives you the freedom to be spontaneous,” he adds. “Preparing for work is an investment in your long-term health.”
So how do you effectively prepare yourself and your family for the workweek? Follow these 10 tips from Zeff and Prentice.