Here are 52 Monday morning stress reduction mantras – one for each week of the year. I choose one Mantra every Monday morning and sit silently for a few moments, repeating it slowly in my mind as if I were meditating. I also write the mantra on a post-it note and stick it next to my computer monitor for the duration of the week. This weekly ritual has helped me reduce unnecessary stress in my life by reminding me to keep things simple and within a reasonable perspective.

The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.

– Sydney J. Harris

Everything I do is by choice. There is always another option. I will strive to be the best I can be, but I will never try to be someone I’m not. I must keep dreaming. Wanting what I don’t think I can have is the first step to making my dreams a reality. I won’t use where I’ve been to justify where I am. I will use where I am to jump-start where I’m going. Right now is the only guaranteed moment in my life. I will make the best of it. Think big. Start small. One bite of the elephant at a time. I will prioritize my obligations and do the important things first. I will not try to please everyone. I will simply do what I know is right. The more productive I am, the luckier I will become. There is nobody else exactly like me, with my exact abilities, talents and ideas. I’m not supposed to have all the answers. Laughing, crying, joy and anger – all are vital, all make me human. I can’t change who I am. I can only change what I know and how I apply this knowledge. I will slow down and become conscious of life’s simple pleasures. I will focus more on less. I will get rid of stuff I do not use. I will not try to read other people’s minds. I will not make other people try to read mine. I will communicate effectively. I can help myself by helping those around me. I will take ownership of my actions so my actions never own me. Every person has a unique definition of success. To me, success means… I will never make decisions in a state of emotional haste. If I want to remember it, I will write it down in a trusted location. I will do something today that makes me happy. Everyone doesn’t have to like me and I don’t have to like everyone. The one with nothing to hide is always the one left standing tall. My habits define my life. I will say no when I should. I will stand firm by my values without senselessly promoting them. We are all weird in our own way. This makes life beautiful. Everyone has a story. There’s a reason why people are the way they are. I will appreciate them just the way they are. I cannot make someone love me. I can only be someone who can be loved. The biggest mistake I can make is doing nothing because I’m scared to make a mistake. Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so. What other people think of me isn’t that important. If I want to believe in myself more I will start doubting others less. Because where I most easily doubt others is where I most easily doubt myself. I will ask questions if I’m not sure. I will let go of things I can’t change and instead concentrate on things I can. There are extraordinary things going on in my life. I have a lot to be thankful for. Today is a new beginning – a chance for me to do something extraordinary. No matter how small, I will celebrate my successes today. I will thank people who have helped me and I will return the favor as soon as I am able. There are ideas, products and cultures I do not yet understand. I will keep an open mind. The most important things in my life are my health, my family and friends, and my education. Everything else is secondary. There are thousands of little things that just aren’t worth fighting for – I will let them go. I will choose my battles wisely. I will stay out of other people’s drama and not needlessly create my own. I will always be honest with myself and others. Every mistake I make is progress. I must learn from my mistakes and the mistakes of others. I will treat everyone with the same level of respect I would give to my grandfather and the same level of patience I would have with my baby brother. Nothing is permanent. However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. Life is short and people are not perfect. I will forgive myself. I will forgive others. Missing a once-in-a-lifetime chance leads to regret, or creativity. Because what can’t be redone can still be outdone. No matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either I succeed or I learn something. Win-Win. I will not waste my time on jealously. I’m in competition with one person and one person only – myself. I’m competing to be the best I can be.

Please feel free to edit this list to meet your own needs. I’ve made a few modifications myself over the past few years.

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Photo by: noelty kay