Days of the week, ranked
and why Tuesday is the worst
Yesterday on Instagram, I posted this to my stories:
A lot of frustrating things outside my control were happening, and when I realized it was a Tuesday, it reinforced my theory that Tuesdays are stressful. Then, I shared my own personal ranking of the days of the week:
…which prompted several of my friends to message me to say they agree or disagree or to ask for an explanation for this ranking. So, here’s my reasoning:
Friday: I love the anticipation and low expectations of a Friday. I purposely don’t schedule meetings on Fridays. People are generally in a good mood. No one minds if you don’t respond to their email until Monday.
Saturday: A true day of leisure! (unless you have kids in sports, and then it’s a day of driving)
Thursday: Friday Eve
Sunday: Coffee and newspapers and brunch and hikes! (and laundry and groceries and cleaning bathrooms). I feel like no one expects too much on Sundays, and that’s nice.
Wednesday: I’ve never really understood what hump we’re getting over. I visualize weeks as circular, not linear, so Wednesday is not a halfway point. But there’s something restful about it. Wednesday is the bench alongside a trail where you catch your breath.
Monday: Sure, it’s the start of the work week, but there’s hope. On Mondays, we make lists and imagine all the things we are capable of. It’s a day of possibility. The glow of the weekend lingers.
Tuesday: Last weekend was so long ago, and next weekend is so far away. This is the day when you really have to put your head down and get work done. It’s when people are catching up on their email and to-do lists, so a lot of tasks are thrown at you. Everything you ignored on Monday is staring you in the face.
Before you disagree with me about these rankings, know that I think whatever ranking you choose is also correct, and there’s science1 behind this. It has to do with episodic memory and the way the brain time stamps events based on contextual clues.
These rankings are also fluid. A few years ago when I commuted to a corporate office, I would have told you that Sundays and Mondays are the worst (the dread, the traffic, the endless meetings). But working from home full-time now, I find Mondays much more peaceful and spacious.
Here’s the thing. I don’t really think a day of the week is inherently “bad” or “good.”
Sure, each day has a vibe, and that vibe is different for all of us depending on what’s happening in our lives. If everything feels like it’s going wrong, there’s something comforting about blaming the calendar (rather than blaming myself or getting frustrated with the people around me). It’s a healthy reminder to let go and trust that tomorrow is a new day. Nothing (good or bad) lasts forever.
And, as my friend
pointed out, I have to challenge my own belief that Tuesdays are terrible, because Tuesday, May 14th is my book’s birthday! and the day of my first in-person event at Boulder Bookstore. Tuesday, May 14th is a day I’ve been looking forward to for nearly a year because it’s the day my book becomes YOUR book. It will belong to anyone who reads it.I’m working on a little book birthday gift for all my Substack subscribers, so if you’re not signed up, get on the list!
P.S. Further proof that Tuesdays are weird:
https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(14)00073-7