Weekends

Weekends - Day 48

Weekends go so quick every single week and it doesn't really even make sense. School makes me realise that when you are confined to a place, not allowed to leave, with no resource to have fun, you have to make the best out of it. But weekends is just a time where you can rest and relax, realising that you aren't doing anything. This makes the day go really quickly, which respectively means that the day goes quickly because we are all lazy during the weekends.

I wished that the weekends were 3 days rather than just 2 days. For example like Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This would make the week so much more enjoyable. The balance of 4:3 ratio seems much nicer than a 5:2 ratio. When we spend most of the day for 5 days just as school, for just only 2 days without school. It seems like that because we usually say that school takes up the whole day sort of, as the best time in a day is the afternoon, but the problem is that school takes up all of the afternoon.

A few reasons that the weekends are so quick can be broken down into multiple factors:

• Perception of Time: When we engage in enjoyable and fun activities, our brain releases lots of dopamine, which can affect our perception of time. The more we enjoy something, the faster it seems to go by. This is why time seems to fly when we're having fun, making it seem like time goes super slow when we are bored.

• Packed Schedules: Weekends are often filled with activities and plans, mainly because weekends provide the availability of doing stuff during the afternoon. Whether it's meeting friends, running errands, or engaging in hobbies, a busy schedule can make time feel compressed as we're constantly moving from one task to another making it feel like our weekend is really quick once we are finished with our tasks.

• Transition Between Week and Weekend: The switch from a structured workweek to an unstructured weekend can make the weekend feel shorter. The drastic change in routine can amplify the perception of the weekend's fleeting nature. Which can lead to lots more of procrastination and lot more of being lazy and relaxing, which also links to our next point.

• Relaxation and Downtime: When we take time to relax, we often lose track of time because we're not actively monitoring it. This can make hours pass by unnoticed, contributing to the feeling that the weekend has slipped away.

• Anticipation and Expectation: We look forward to the weekend throughout the workweek, creating a build up of anticipation. Once the weekend arrives, it can feel like it flies by because we've been eagerly waiting for it. Also sometimes when it comes, we feel like there is nothing to do during the weekend as we didn't fully prepare, since we only have just 2 days to do stuff, with Sunday having to end early due to Monday being school or some important work like a job for some people.

• Catch-Up Mode: Many people use weekends to catch up on tasks they couldn't complete during the week. This includes chores, housework, and errands, which can make the weekend feel shorter as we're focused on these necessary activities. This can lead to time passing by the hour rapidly as we do our tasks.

• Rest and Recovery: After a long workweek, weekends are often used for rest and recovery. This period of downtime is essential for recharging, but it can also make the weekend feel like it disappears quickly because we're in a more relaxed state.

• Overcommitting: Trying to fit too many activities and plans into the weekend can lead to a feeling of rushing through it. The more we try to squeeze in, the quicker it seems to pass by. When we rush stuff, we can forget stuff leading to more procrastination and more planning.

• Less Routine: Without the strict routines of the workweek, weekends can feel less structured. This lack of routine can make time seem to flow differently, often making the days feel shorter. This can be due to you not understanding what to do or just your routine being lazy, quick or too much.

• Social Interactions: Spending time with friends and loved ones can make time fly by because these interactions are enjoyable. When we're engaged in meaningful conversations or activities with others, hours can pass by quickly. Social interaction is also pretty necessary to have a healthy and happy life, so this one is a big player in why time passes so quickly.

• Sleep Patterns: Changes in sleep patterns over the weekend can affect our perception of time. Sleeping in or staying up late can make the days seem shorter because we have fewer waking hours. For example, we could sleep at midnight and wake up at 6AM or 12AM, during the weekend, while the weekdays we have to sleep at 9PM and wake up at 7AM. The lack of sleep and the lack of awareness of how much you have slept can affect how much hours pass and how much time you have left during the weekend.

• Technology and Media: Spending time on screens, whether it's watching TV, playing video games, or browsing the internet, can make hours pass unnoticed. This can contribute to the feeling of a shorter weekend as we're absorbed in digital activities. This can lead to procrastination  and just not being aware on how much time is being passed as you are too focused on technology.

These factors can lead to your weekends feeling empty, quick and relentless with too much activities that you have planned. So the next time you have a plan on a weekend, or want a weekend to be worth its while, make sure to plan what you want to do, or just possibly, do what you enjoy. Play with friends and at the end of the day, don't be sad that it ended, but be happy that it happened. Thanks for reading, Goodbye.