It is nearly lunchtime on Tuesday after Memorial Day weekend. I know you’re struggling. We all are. You ate too much over the weekend, you drank too much, and probably didn’t get enough water. Even in times of quarantine, it is assumed you went outside and celebrated the long weekend properly. A majority of people are still working from home might lessen the blow of this day, but for those back in the office, this day can kick rocks. Therefore, I decided to pick out my five worst days on the calendar.

5. Monday after March Madness – Of all the sports, the Monday after March Madness is brutal. If you took the Thursday and Friday off to hang out, drink beers, eat bad food, and watch basketball, that Monday comes at you so quickly. There is suddenly not much to gamble on. You look at the clock consistently and wonder what game was I watching at this time. The first two days of March Madness are sports holidays and should be treated as such. This would have been the first year I missed it in some time. Even though that would have sucked, I would have taken it versus this year.

4. Tuesday after Memorial Day – As I noted here, it is not a fun one to return from in any way, shape, or form. When things are normal, it is usually due to it being the first weekend where some come of out liberation. The bars are more packed than they’ve been for the last few months, and people are just going wild for the extra day off. I’ve had some good MDWs that have resulted in very shitty Tuesdays.

3. Returning after the 4th of July – This day will always suck. The 4th of July holiday is usually one that people like to extend beyond the holiday. This year is a great example. The holiday itself is on Saturday, which means, some will likely take Thursday, Friday, or Monday off. Whenever you come back, it’s shitty mostly because you know summer is halfway over and work will be kicking into high gear.

2. Monday after a bachelor party – Woof. That is never a fun one. Likely, people are overdoing it on text reliving what happened that weekend, you’re scared to look at your bank account, and the brain is entirely fried. My best recommendation, if you can swing it, is to take off that Monday. Reset the brain, get your shit together and attack Tuesday versus trying to be a hero back to work on Monday when you still smell like a stripper.

1. The first day after holiday break – Some companies give a ton of leeway with their holiday schedules. When I worked at an agency, we shut down for two weeks. That first day back is the worst for so many reasons. All of the sudden, there are expectations and meetings for that next year and everyone wants to touch base after the long layoff. You’re likely five to seven pounds heavier due to all the cookies and treats you’ve been eating so your clothes don’t fit. Also with Wisconsin, January is a shit month unless the Packers are good at football.