
Nov 17, 2017 ● Eric Titner
Are you a victim of the weekend effect?
Does the following scenario sound like an all-too-familiar weekly routine for you?
After a long and stressful workweek and Friday approaches—and finally arrives—you feel a palpable, positive shift in your overall sense of mental well-being. Your mood lifts, your outlook on life and the world improves, it’s almost as if you’re a completely new person, just in time for the weekend!
And then…Sunday hits and you’re faced with the notion of another workweek. Sunday morning may start out fine, but as the day wears on your thoughts turn to Monday, and all of the things waiting for you at work—the tasks, the meetings, the stress. And suddenly, your new outlook on life isn’t so new and improved anymore, and starts to revert to your usual, not-so-positive workweek mode.
This might perfectly encapsulate this week for you, or last week, or any other workweek that you can conjure up in your memory. And trust us, if this sounds like you then rest assured that you’re not alone. There’s even a term for this—the weekend effect—and it’s a common phenomenon afflicting countless workers across industries and jobs. It can have a wide range of negative consequences on your professional and personal life, beyond ruining at least half of your weekend!
Are you a victim of the weekend effect? Why does this happen? Is there any way to fight it? Great questions! If you’re eager to learn more and discover some helpful strategies for freeing yourself from the dreaded weekend effect, then keep reading!