“We’re all rightfully worried about climate change and rising sea levels, but no one is talking about a far more immediate crisis: the disturbing trend of shrinking weekends,” worries. PAUL DORIN.

Like me, are you left scratching those increasingly grey hairs, wondering how the last decade managed to slip away?

I swear it was 2016 about five minutes ago. Honestly, I think time has a personal grudge against me.

We’re all rightfully worried about climate change and rising sea levels, but no one is talking about a far more immediate crisis: the disturbing trend of “shrinking weekends”. Saturday morning mysteriously vanishes, and Sunday afternoon accelerates to near-light speed as if the weekend hit fast-forward while you were still deciding what to do.

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” the old adage goes. The truth is, we all get 24 hours each day but weekends somehow feel shorter than weekdays. And the strangest part even when you’re not having fun, time still seems to slip away faster than you can blink!

That’s why I’m launching a public awareness campaign. Its mission is simple and long overdue: “Save the Weekends”.

It’s that frustrating tale of an ambitious to-do list versus reality. Most of us start the weekend with unrealistic expectations of rest, family time, sports, and a never-ending list of chores. The weekend becomes a blur of activity, and by Sunday evening, we’re exhausted barely having time to savour any rest. 

Everyone knows the sacred thrill of a public holiday – that rare, blessed day when the universe pauses just for you. Suddenly, your normal two-day weekend stretches like elastic: Friday night flows into Saturday, Saturday drifts lazily into Sunday, and then… surprise! Monday isn’t coming. It’s gone. Vanished. Swallowed by the cosmos.

After years of pretending two days was enough to recover from five days of chaos, we should all agree it is time for a buffer day, a gentle 24-hour cushion between Sunday and Monday. Thus, “Softday” will be born: a no-expectations, guilt-free zone dedicated to napping, snacking, and remembering who you are before facing reality again.

Ironically, paying attention to time can actually make it feel slower. When you’re doing tasks you don’t particularly enjoy, working, waiting, or watching the clock tick you notice every minute and hour, and the days can drag. But when you’re having fun, your mind is fully absorbed in the activity, so your sense of time fades away therefore you lose your sense of time.

Most people think stretching the weekend is about doing more, But the truth is, weekends feel longer when they surprise you, when they feel a little different from the weekday rhythm.

Here are my five simple tips to slow down the weekend:

• Start your weekend Friday evening. Go for a picnic, take a walk, catch up with a friend, or have a movie night. Treat Friday night as the beginning of your weekend, not just a prelude to Saturday.

• Don’t oversleep. Get up early on Saturday and start the day with a morning walk or some light activity. It sets a productive and relaxed rhythm for the whole day.

• Tackle chores early. Doing household tasks first thing Saturday morning means the rest of your weekend feels uninterrupted and guilt-free.

• Reduce scrolling. Try to be mindful about screen time, l have lost whole evenings and mornings to the scroll.

• Volunteer or join a local service. Organisations such as the Rural Fire Service not only let you give back, they improve mental and physical health, help you develop new skills, and make a really positive impact on your community.

So, fellow weekend warriors, let’s stop letting our Saturdays evaporate and our Sundays sprint away. Let’s reclaim the lost hours, because time may have a grudge, but we don’t have to play along.

Slow down, savour, and remember: the weekend is yours, not the clock’s.

Paul Dorin is the CityNews cartoonist.