Patricia Grisafi
As we wrap up a three-day holiday weekend in America, folks are wondering why we don’t have regular three-day weekends.
Think about it. By the time you do all the adulting crap you have to do on Saturday, that leaves only one day to truly rest and relax and spend time with loved ones without a black cloud of work or chores hanging over you heard. And for those of us who are introverts, that leaves no time to rest and recharge by ourselves for a bit.
Twitter user Kyle Shevlin wrote a tweet about this problem, and it went viral—probably because it seems like a really great idea.
Shevlin, who is a software engineer and writer from Portland, Oregon, spoke with Bored Panda about what it was like to see this tweet gain so many likes and really ignite a discussion.
“I have been thinking about 3-day weekends and a sub-40-hour work week for a long time. I am someone who loves learning, reading, or listening to whatever I can about economics and the social sciences. I frequently think about how my economic activity intersects with other disciplines, like anthropology or neuroscience,” Shevlin said.
“For example, as a software engineer, most of my work involves thinking about problems and synthesizing information into a solution. I find that there are better times during the day than others for me to do this work optimally. Why is this the case? It turns out that there’s a good amount of research about circadian rhythms and their effects on our productivity. What can I learn from that? For me, I have come to realize that I have about 6 good hours in me each day where I’m working at my best. Working beyond that means I’m not working at my best.”
Shevlin’s tweet really resonated with the social media community, with many folks adding their thoughts to the conversation.
Maybe it’s time businesses and employers start to seriously think about three-day-weekends.
Featured Image: Twitter