Friday is the one weekday that people generally feel most at ease. With the promise of the weekend and the ability to wear jeans at the office, things generally seem lighter.

Before I went into business for myself I fantasized that entrepreneurs, with the power to make their own schedule, did not maintain the weekday stress. Which is why I felt cheated when I started my business several years ago, only to discover that the weekday malaise had followed me.

Out of curiosity, and for my sanity, I started to play with the perception of the different weekdays to see if I could “trick” myself into making each weekday feel like a Friday. This was an important focus for a long time, because I concluded that the reduction in unnecessary stress would be beneficial for my life and my business.

It was extremely difficult at first, but eventually, each weekday started to maintain the lightness of a Friday. Here are a few tips:

Be kind – The process of shifting perceptions is not easy, even ones that you know you want to change. Be kind to yourself.

Be honest – The reality is, many of us have been trained to be on a high stress, perception of productivity regimen from M-F and 9a – 5p. Once you can come to grips with this, it makes the process easier.

Tuesday – This was the hardest day for me to loosen my grip on. You may be surprised to find out how different days effect you. Once I discovered my pattern for each day, it made it easier to eliminate the things that were not serving me.

Productivity & Creativity – With less stress, I feel more productive and creative throughout the week.

Patience – It took me a couple years to really approach each day with the lightness of a Friday.

Saturday – There is still more room to grow. I am looking forward to the day when I can approach a Tuesday with the calmness of a Saturday.

Have a great day, it’s Friday.