How the viral 'Bare Minimum Mondays' trend helped me beat the Sunday scaries and avoid burnout

Mon, 09/18/2023 - 14:50

a woman, Marisa Jo Mayes, sits at her a desk, with houseplants and artwork in the background — Marisa Jo Mayes has gone viral for TikToks of her "Bare Minimum Mondays," which she says helped redefine her relationship to work.
Marisa Jo Mayes

Digital creator and startup founder Marisa Jo Mayes has gone viral for doing "Bare Minimum Mondays."
It helps her avoid the dread and pressure that many people feel when returning to work on Mondays.
She said it's a way to "start the week prioritizing yourself as a person over yourself as an employee."

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Marisa Jo Mayes, a self-employed digital creator and startup founder who has gone viral for doing what she calls "Bare Minimum Mondays" at work. It has been edited for length and clarity.