In a meeting today I heard someone say the following:

Somehow a short week always feels like a long one.

Monday, September 2nd was Labor Day, which is an official federal holiday in the US (unlike those “bank holidays” that are all the rage in other parts of the world). 

I have to agree with my co-worker. Even though we only worked four days this week, it still feels like a long week. By the way, I don’t notice this same phenomenon when it’s a Friday holiday instead of a Monday holiday. Something about starting the week on Tuesday and ending Friday is different from staring on Monday and ending Thursday even though four days are worked in both scenarios.

It boils down to perception of time. Sometimes that clock can’t move fast enough and other times it flies by.

An unrelated but perhaps similar warping of perception concerns the famous three-check-month phenomenon. I get my paycheck twice a month, which amounts to 24 payments per year. I used to get paid every two weeks, and 52 divided by 2 is 26. When you get paid every two weeks, there will be two months out of the year that are three-check months. That third check is supposed to be free money, a complete bonus. But somehow it never works out that way.