Quieting the Noise of a Chaotic Monday
For many professionals, Monday feels less like the beginning of a fresh week and more like a tidal wave of noise. You walk into the office (or log on remotely) and immediately you're met with a storm: unread emails, Slack pings, overdue tasks, meeting requests, follow-ups from Friday, and new issues that seem to have grown over the weekend. Some of your coworkers are scrambling to make up for what they didn’t finish last week. Others show up in a panic with brand-new problems they need solved right now.
It’s loud. Not just in your environment—but in your mind.
This Monday noise can lead to anxiety, short tempers, lack of focus, and a sense of defeat before the week even gets started. But it doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to be swept into the chaos just because it’s swirling around you.
As I discuss in Think A Better Thought, training your mind for success begins with one powerful truth: You are the thinker of your thoughts. You are not the thoughts themselves. You get to choose what you give your attention to. So let’s take this noisy Monday and reset it—with intention.
1. Pause Before You React
The moment you feel overwhelmed, stop. Literally pause. You don’t need to answer that email yet. You don’t need to jump into five conversations at once. Take a breath and ask yourself:
“Is this urgent, or is it just loud?”
Not everything that makes noise deserves your energy. The loudest task isn’t always the most important. Give yourself the space to respond, rather than react.
Use the “Pause and Choose” tool from the book. It’s simple:
Pause – Breathe. Step back.
Observe – What am I feeling? What thoughts are crowding in?
Choose – What thought serves me right now?
It might sound like:
“I feel scattered because I’m trying to solve five problems at once. I choose to think, ‘I can solve one thing at a time, and I’ll do the next when I get there.’”
That thought alone can return your mental volume from chaos to clarity.
2. Define Your Priorities
Noise often wins because we haven’t defined our own agenda. If you don’t claim your Monday, someone else will.
Before you dive into the inbox or return a single call, spend 10 minutes with a pen and paper. Ask:
What are my top 3 outcomes for today?
What can wait?
What boundaries do I need to set?
This is what I call the Focus Funnel—a tool to filter all the noise down to what truly matters. Start at the top: everything that’s coming at you. Then funnel it down:
Eliminate the unnecessary.
Delegate what you can.
Postpone what isn’t urgent.
Focus on what truly moves you forward.
Now, instead of reacting to the noise, you’re taking proactive, purposeful action.
3. Guard Your Mindset Like It’s Your Job (Because It Is)
Your thoughts set the tone for your performance, your attitude, your stress level, and your results. So guard them like the asset they are.
If Monday’s noise is creeping back in, use a Better Thought Break. This is a 90-second mental reset you can do at your desk, in your car, even in a bathroom stall if you need to.
Close your eyes.
Breathe deeply: in for 4, hold for 4, out for 6.
Think one clear, empowering thought:
“I am calm in the chaos.”
“I lead with clarity.”
“I choose peace over panic.”
Repeat it slowly, intentionally. Let it settle into your nervous system. You’ll be amazed what a single minute of mindset hygiene can do for your whole day.
4. Remember: Noise Is Not the Enemy—Unconscious Reaction Is
Mondays will always come with a little noise. That’s the nature of the game. But stress is not created by noise itself—it’s created by how you think about the noise.
So today, think a better thought.
“Today I create space for what matters.”
“I respond, I don’t react.”
“I am not overwhelmed—I’m in control.”
One thought at a time, one breath at a time, you can turn the loudest Monday into a launching pad for success.
You got this.
