When the alarm goes off on that dreaded Monday morning, it feels like the world is crashing down on you. Getting out of bed is one of the hardest things to do, and once the day begins, there is no turning back. The real tragedy, however, is when you realize that you have a whole week ahead of you before the weekend hits again. Surviving Mondays is an emotional rollercoaster with more downs than ups. Here are the five stages we all go through.

1. Denial

Monday mornings are difficult. Admitting to myself that it is, in fact, Monday means that it is time to get serious and to get to work. The weekend is officially over, and a long week awaits ahead. It's not hard to understand why the first reaction would be to deny Monday ever existed.

2. Anger

Anger comes to play for different reasons. Lack of sleep gotten over the weekend, lack of homework done over the weekend, weekend being too short, stressful week coming up, etc. Nevertheless, almost no one wakes up happy on a Monday morning so rage, at least for the first few hours of the day, seems like the right way to go.

3. Bargaining

Whether that means pleading for more sleep or for it not to be Monday, the whole day involves bargaining to make the day survivable.

4. Depression

There's always that one point in the middle of the day where everything seems awful, you begin questioning why you do everything that you do, and if it's really worth it. It's probably the stress talking, but you can't help but wonder. The worst part comes when you realize you have to do it all again tomorrow. And the day after that. And the one after that.

5. Acceptance

Eventually, you come to your senses and notice that your life isn't all that bad and that if it weren't for Mondays, none of the other days, weekend included, would be so special. Yes, Mondays may be a struggle, but we are grateful that we are able to rise above the challenge and make it through.

At the end of the day, Monday marks the beginning of a new week and an opportunity for a somewhat fresh start.