Bank Holidays are a thing of joy.

But if you look closely at these miraculous days of freedom, you'll see that they always follow a certain pattern, one that you might not have noticed before.

Here are the five inevitable stages of a Bank Holiday Monday.

1. The lie-in

One of life's greatest and simplest pleasures. That feeling of waking on a lazy Bank Holiday morning and knowing that you have nowhere to be is incredible, and so you sink back into your duvet cocoon.

Unless, of course, you went out last night. In that case, you probably woke up like this.

2. The world is your oyster

Once you manage to drag yourself out of your blanket fort, you suddenly realise that the world is your playground. The Bank Holiday spreads itself before you, pregnant with possibility, and you just know that on this day there's nothing you can't do.

3. So, obviously, you go for brunch

And not just because we at Lovin Dublin are contractually obligated to mention brunch as much as humanly possible. Brunch.

4. You've wasted your day

As Monday goes on, it dawns on you that you've wasted your day off by staying in bed till noon and general arsing around. You could've done so much, but it's too late. You ruined it.

5. The Fear

Finally, you start feeling The Post-Break Fear. You know the one, the dread of the coming workweek you always get on a Sunday night. Sure, you delayed it with the long weekend, but The Post-Break Fear always gives you that friendly reminder that you've got work in the morning.

The final note might leave a bad taste in your mouth, but remember it could be worse. 

You could've been feckin' working on the Bank Holiday.

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