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the weekend really does feel better, even in quarantine
study finds that weekends are important to mental health. but we knew that already.
jun 5 2020
3 minute read
quarantine or not, the weekends rock as way to recharge. stock/getty
in health, “the weekend effect” is the difference in mortality rate for patients admitted to hospital for treatment at the weekend compared to those admitted on a weekday.
but for most of us, it means a whole other thing. it means that by friday afternoon, there may be a little more spring in our step, more joie de vivre, a certain zig to our zag.
i heard this story about a woman with two young kids who, in an effort to get a full uninterrupted workday in during this work-from-home time, gets dressed for work every day — high heels, and everything — packs her lunch, says goodbye to the kids (who are with their dad), goes out the front door only to walk around the side of the house and use the back door to get to her office in the basement. and there she stays — unbeknownst to the kids — until the day is done, when she does the whole thing in reverse, complete with a “honeys, i’m home!” as she walks through the front door.
besides the fact that i wish i had thought of that, i feel the need to comment on how free of distractions this woman’s days must be. unlike myself, who teaches algebra, combs knots out of hair, debates social media etiquette, doles out relationship advice and pulls shoes out of the dog’s mouth, all while doing my other job. and despite the fact that most of these things continue no matter what day it is, there’s something about the weekend that still feels so damn good.
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i mean, who doesn’t look forward to a saturday morning sleep in? and a break from the constant hum of zoom calls? but is there more to what makes a weekend so magical?
a decade ago, researchers at the university of rochester set out to answer this very question. tracking the moods of 74 adults, aged 18 to 62 who worked at least 30 hours a week, the study team paged participants randomly three times each day and had them fill out a questionnaire that described what they were doing at that time, and how they felt, both positively (like happiness, joy and pleasure) and negatively (anxiety, depression or anger). they also looked at physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive issues and energy levels.
the results were completely predictable — everyone felt better on the weekend, no matter how many hours they worked, what their jobs were, how much money they made, or their relationship status. and the main reason is this: on the weekend, they could do whatever they wanted to.
the study authors found that weekends were associated with higher levels of freedom and closeness. participants were able to choose what they did and who they spent time with. they also reported feeling more competent during the weekend than they did during their day-to-day jobs.the work week was described as “replete with activities involving external controls, time pressures, and demands on behaviour related to work.” plus, the researchers acknowledged that workers have to “spend time with colleagues with whom they shared limited connections.”
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so basically, weekends are a time to let loose and get a break from the toads that you work with, in case you happen to work with toads. now if you happen to live with toads, well, you may be looking at a very different weekend.
of course, not everyone has the luxury of a weekend of bliss — some of us have to work, some of us live with our exes (sigh), some of us have serious life issues that make every day impossibly difficult. but this study reminds us of the importance of taking time for ourselves — no matter what that may look like. a friend of mine swears by a half hour spent daily locked in the bathroom with a book and a bar of chocolate. not really my idea of escapism, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
the bottom line? downtime is more important than ever. go forth and seize it any way you can. it’s good for you.
lisa machado is the executive producer of healthing.ca. follow her on twitter @iamlisamachado
this story originally appeared in healthing.ca’s daily newsletter, coming out of covid. subscribe here.
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