If Every Weekend Were A 3-Day Weekend, We’d All Be Better People In 3 Scientifically Proven Ways
baranq | ShutterstockThere's no denying that a long weekend is a treat, but the best part is that a shortened workweek is more beneficial to your well-being than you might even realize. Even though science has confirmed that 3-day weekends are better for everyone, we're still stuck with only 2 days.
Since these coveted weekends only come a few times a year, they're basically a saving grace for those of us who work over 8 hours a day and have to answer an endless stream of emails. But the fact remains that long weekends improve pretty much everything from overall happiness to even workplace productivity.
If every weekend were a 3-day weekend, we would all be better people in three scientifically proven ways:
1. We'd be in better health
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You know that feeling on a Friday night? The feeling that there's nothing hanging over your head on Saturday morning? There is no early meeting, no commuter traffic, no looming deadlines. Instead, you feel peaceful and joyful. That joyful feeling is better for your physical health than you probably realize.
One meta-analysis of multiple studies, published in The Lancet, looked at the link between heart disease and being overworked in 600,000+ Americans, Europeans, and Australians, both men and women. Researchers discovered that employees who work more than 55 hours per week were 33% more likely to have a high risk of stroke than those who worked less than 40 hours per week.
Not only that, but the overworked employees were 13% more likely to develop heart disease. Another meta-analysis found that labor workers in particular had a 30% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The sad reality is that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time employed people in the U.S. as of 2024 worked an average of 8.4 hours per workday. What's even sadder? They worked an average of 5.6 hours on the weekend. Americans are overworked, and it's impacting their health.
2. We'd be happier and kinder
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This isn't really a novel concept, but it's absolutely worth mentioning. Think about how people behave on vacation, even if it's just a weekend away. Smiles and waves are much more common than angry exchanges. There's no reason to get irritated when you feel like you have time to relax.
A 2010 study on sleep deprivation found that people are more likely to misread and confuse other people's emotions when they aren't getting enough sleep, even the most obvious ones (like feeling happy or sad). Overtired people also start more fights in their relationships than those who get enough rest.
Instead of taking out your aggression on your partner because you're not sleeping enough, why not take Monday off? But it's more than just getting enough sleep.
Juliet Schor, an author, economist, sociologist, and lead researcher of the 4-day workweek experiments, explained that 4-day workweeks make people happier not just because they have more time outside the workplace, which definitely contributes. But they are also happier when they are at work because, as she told CNBC, “They feel on top of their work and their life, and they’re not stressed out. They feel recovered when they come to work ... They feel more eager to do work. They feel like they can get it done.”
3. We'd be better at our jobs
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Here's the simple math: Working less makes us happier. Happier employees are more productive. Working less makes us better at our jobs. It's really as simple as that; unfortunately, corporations seem worried about taking that risk.
A survey conducted by Harvard Business School researchers put this notion to the test. In an experiment, researchers had employees from a consulting firm take a day off in the middle of the workweek. This experiment continued for five whole months, after which the firm's clients reported an improvement in service from those employees who took time off.
It's kind of a scary jump for companies to suddenly say we'll pay you the same amount to work less, but the results seem to speak for themselves. When it comes to organizations that experimented with making long weekends the norm, most kept the practice going even after the trial period because the results were so positive.
Obviously, having a three-day weekend every weekend isn't going to just happen overnight. But the great thing is, these studies are proving over and over again that working less isn't just possible, it's beneficial for both individuals and organizations. Don't forget, there was a time in the not-so-distant past when remote work was a pipedream. Who knows, we might be lucky enough to have long weekends every weekend sooner rather than later.
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces.
