If your “honey do” list seems to be growing longer by the minute, and you are looking forward to knocking some or all of those items off your list this holiday weekend, let us make a case for scheduling some down time in your action packed weekend. Here are four reasons to carve out some “me” time instead of channeling Chip and Joanna Gaines all weekend and tackling a complete remodel of your living space.
- Because Science Says So
There is actual Science to support the theory that regular three day weekends would make us all happier and healthier employees inside and outside the office. The research of K. Anders Ericsson referenced in this Business Insider article suggests that four or five hours of work each day for the average person is the ideal amount of time for an employee to be focused. After that, their productivity seems to decrease, and they struggle more to get things done. Ericsson’s research has been cited as one of the influencing factors that led Amazon to create a pilot program to allow its part time employees to work 30 hours a week and receive 75 percent of their pay. It’s probably a little bit of a stretch to get your employer on board with three day weekends every weekend without a strategic campaign with widespread employee support, but that only makes it more important for you to take advantage of the holiday weekend you have coming at you, and actually enjoy it, instead of filling it with more work. If you have to work on something, try keeping Ericsson’s four or five hour rule in mind.
- Something is stressing you out
You might not be aware of how much stress you’re under right now, but according to a recent article published by the Harvard Business Review (it’s a good, quick read that will give you tips to deal w/ your stress), the average worker around the globe is under more stress than ever, and in more desperate need of a solution to figure out how to deal with it. One key that the article suggests in order to overcome your difficult relationship with stress is to reframe the way you see stress. In some cases, you may be able to use the adrenaline rush you get in a stressful situation to your advantage, or push through a long day because of the extra burst of “energy” you get at the end of a hectic day. However, no matter what your relationship with stress currently feels like, you probably don’t need to add something else to your plate over the long weekend that will fill you with anxiety. Instead of re-painting your whole house/ apartment during your three days off, maybe tackle one room, and carve out some time to do something you enjoy that you never seem to get to during a regular weekend. You’ll get the best of both worlds, a project off your list, and some “you” time that should help you feel recharged.
- Because you just had to get through 3 times as many emails on Thursday
According to a study performed by Yesware, we are actually doing more work and sending more emails in fewer hours the day before a long weekend to compensate for being out of the office for the holiday. The one upside, the amount of email you will receive over the long weekend will decrease according to the study. However, it seems that we are still checking our email over the long weekend. Yesware found that it took us longer to respond, but ultimately, we are still opening the email we’re getting. If this sounds like you, we’re going to prescribe a solution for this in point number four, so keep reading.
- Plan to getaway
A getaway can mean different things for different people. A staycation can work wonders according to Businessinsider.com . You can travel to a destination that’s an hour or two away without all the extra baggage of having to plan an entire vacation. Even if you decide to stay put, literally, treat yourself to some time unplugged. Turn the phone off, forget where your laptop is for a few hours. And no matter how much you love your work, don’t go to the office to “get ahead” at the end of the 3 day weekend. If you end up spending Monday in the office, or out of the office thinking about work, any of the relaxing you did earlier in the weekend goes right out the window.
We’re not saying that you shouldn’t channel Chip and Joanna at all this weekend. But resist the temptation to bite off a project that is bigger than you can accomplish in an afternoon. If you take on a project that will keep your nose to the grindstone all weekend, you’ll need another three day weekend just to relax from your three day weekend.