Episode 15: Happy Monday | The Fresh Start Effect and How to Begin Again Anytime – Quick Bite

For many of us, Mondays bring dread—the inbox, the routine, the restart. But what if Monday could be an invitation instead of an obligation?

In this Relish Quick Bite, host Alyssia Sheikh unpacks the science and mindfulness behind the fresh start effect—why beginnings inspire action—and how to harness it consciously. Drawing on mindfulness, neuroscience, and her own shift from Sunday scaries to Monday joy, she shows you how to make any moment a reset. 

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What the “Fresh Start Effect” is and how temporal landmarks motivate us (Dai, Milkman & Riis, 2014) 
• Why the brain loves beginnings—and how to use them to build momentum instead of pressure
• How to retrain your mind to see Monday as a cue for presence and possibility
• Simple ways to “begin again” whenever you lose focus or fall off track
• How this mindset connects to The Power of Becoming framework—living as who you want to be now

💭 Reflection: What day (or moment) could you reclaim as your own fresh start? What might shift if you met it with curiosity instead of resistance?

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• The Hoffman Institute (Alyssia is a Hoffman Process teacher; podcast is not affiliated)

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2014). The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior (Management Science). Shows how beginnings create psychological distance from the past self and increase motivation.
  👉 https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901