How I Survive Mondays (with Colour Coding and Chaos)
Let’s be honest: Mondays are not a vibe.
Despite my best intentions, most Monday mornings start the same way — me, horizontal, doomscrolling while the Willow (dog) gives me side-eye because she has her life together and I… seem to not.
The alarm’s gone off three times. I’m running late. I’m tired. I’m already receiving Slack messages deep already and I'm mentally narrating my own downfall like it’s the opening scene of a tragic comedy.
But! I as this happens regular I have built a system.
(A very ADHD sentence, I know.)
Enter: the Friday Colour-Coded Master List
On Fridays — when hope is still alive. I'm geared up for the weekend and my brain is surprisingly generous — I prep for Monday like I’m about to run a productivity workshop for NASA.
I open up Notion, crack open my “To do list” database, and colour-code my tasks from high to low priority.
- Red = ON FIRE. URGENT. MOVE.
- ⚠Orange = Important, but less flammable
- Yellow = Would be nice
- Grey = HAHA, maybe next week
Each task gets filed under its relevant project. I use filters and views to narrow it all down into something that looks neat and intentional — chaos disguised as clarity right!
Friday Me feels powerful. he’s a smug human. he logs off thinking Monday will be a breeze...
Monday Me? I look at the same list and immediately thinks, “Really - All of this has to be done.”
Chaos, but make it structured
Notion is my bible. It holds my product projects, roadmaps, priorities, panic, and everything I’ll 100% forget if I don’t write it down.
It's set up like a database, with tabs for projects and tasks, and I use different filtered views for Work, Personal, and all my current hyperfixations. It gives me structure, but more importantly — it gives me somewhere to start and build from.
Some days that takes five minutes.
Other days it takes:
- 20 minutes of lofi - Bilateral audio in my noise-cancelling headphones
- And one single task that feels doable - (Plus three tabs open and one browser-based existential crisis.)
The Monday Mood
I haven’t collapsed (yet), but I’ve definitely felt overwhelmed in the past.
There are days I manage a project with three tabs open and nothing but good vibes.
There are days I open the same task five times and still don’t know what it means - Damn you Friday Aaron!
But here’s the truth: Mondays are hard when your brain doesn’t switch gears like everyone else’s. The executive dysfunction is real. The transition from weekend-mode to productivity-mode feels like being shoved onto a treadmill at full speed.
Having a system — even a messy, colour-coded one — gives me something to land on. It’s not magic, but it helps me begin. And beginning is the hardest part.
How I Set Up My Notion Board (and How You Can Too)
For the curious (and the fellow chaos managers), here’s how my Notion setup works:
📋 Step 1: Create a database
Not a plain list. A full Table – Full Page database. It’s fully taggable, sortable, filterable. ADHD-friendly.
🎯 Step 2: Add these properties
| Property | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Task Name | Title | Your to-dos |
| Project | Select | Group by Work, Blog, Life etc. |
| Priority | Select | I use Red/Orange/Yellow/Grey to reflect urgency |
| Status | Select | To Do, In Progress, Blocked, Done |
| Due Date | Date | If you want deadlines (no pressure) |
| Notes | Text | Because I forget what “fix thing” means |
| Effort | Select | S / M / L helps me avoid panic |
🔍 Step 3: Create views that reduce overwhelm
- Today → Just tasks due today or high priority
- Work Only → Project = Work
- Quick Wins → Effort = Small
- Done ✅ → For the sweet dopamine
Bonus: I use a Board View grouped by “Status” so I can drag tasks from “To Do” to “Done” like I’m on Drag Race and just won a lip sync.
🔁 Step 4: Friday Reset = Monday Rescue
Every Friday I:
- Clean out old tasks
- Update deadlines
- Highlight my Top 3 priorities for Monday
So Monday Me has less to think about and more to work with.
💡 Tips if you're just starting:
- Start simple: 3–4 properties is enough
- Add emojis to make it visual (and fun)
- Use Notion AI to summarise tasks when your brain fog hits
- Don’t let perfection stop you — just make it useful for you
☕ So how do I survive Mondays?
- A colour-coded plan I made when I was optimistic
- A Notion board that almost feels like executive function
- Lo-fi beats + noise cancelling headphones
- Bilateral audio when I really need to focus
- And an embarrassing amount of internal pep talks
Some days are smooth. Some are absolute chaos.
But I show up, I pick one thing, and I start.
And honestly? That’s enough.
🧡 If your Mondays feel like this too…
You’re not alone. ADHD + adulting is a ridiculous combo sometimes, but you don’t have to white-knuckle your way through it.
Let me know if you want a copy of my Notion template — or if you just need someone to say “me too.”
Because we’re out here thriving. Chaotically. Colour-coded. Barely.
