As we see some countries are slowly switching to a three-day weekend, prioritising the health and wellness of their citizens, making us wonder “is four day work week a good idea?”

We sometimes think that an extra day off would be really good, so we can take a little time for ourselves and relax a bit.

A new study by the Nutrition and Activity (ARENA) of the University of South Australia by Ty Ferguson and others shows that taking an extra day off improves a person’s mental health. And it also says that a long weekend is welcomed by not only the employees but also the companies.

An Empirical study by Ty Ferguson and others

The study accessed the 24 hour movement of the person observing their behaviour before, during and after vacations. Participants’ movements were tracked by a digital watch, where they are required to wear the watch at all times.

This study revealed that every employee wishes for an extra day off to spend time for themselves and it also showed that many want an extended holiday. The researchers observed some healthy behavioural changes after a vacation that lasts more than 2 days.

For this study 18 to 65 years old working people were selected and they analysed 4 days to 2 weeks long vacations taken by the participants. It is observed within a time span of 13 months, the employees tend to take two to three vacations. These vacations lasted around 12 days on average.

Outdoor recreational activities, family functions, rest and relaxation and non – leisure activities like taking care of a family member/ home renovation were the types of holidays that people have taken. 

In the empirical study, 375 adults were included for a span of 13 months and their behaviour for 24 hours was collected. They are required to wear a fit bit digital watch to track their movements all the time.

Benefits of Three day weekend

Researchers observed three important changes when a person goes off to a long holiday. That includes an increase in the moderate to high physical activity (13 percent more than usual), reduced sedentary (inactive) behaviour and the elevated sleep time (by at least 21 minutes everyday).

This shows that people engage in more healthier behaviours when they are on holiday, says researcher Ty Ferguson. This is because they have more time for themselves and are not restricted by other works, he further added.

They have observed that the elevated sleep behaviour continues for at least two weeks (an average of 21 minutes more sleep) after their vacation. If the sleep cycle is improved, it shows reduced stress, fatigue and improved productivity in the work. 

Getting a good sleep reduces the risk of many health issues like stress, depression, cardiovascular diseases and obesity.

For the other behaviours, physical activity and sedentary behaviour seems to reduce after the long vacation, as they have work that they need to catch up on. 

“The study revealed some surprising results, that the longer the holiday is, the longer and improved the healthy behaviour is” , says researchers.

Conclusion

From the study, it is seen that even a three day weekend can retain the improved sleep for 2 weeks after the holiday. This shows that the health benefits of the holiday lasts for a longer period even after the holiday.

So, it is time we come around the concept of three day weekend and four day workweek — embracing it as a new normal routine for a healthier lifestyle.