We see how your Saturday and Sunday downtime stacks up
51
Percentage of men who say they love for their Saturdays and Sundays
38
Percentage who still log laptop time for work during those precious weekend hours
1 in 4
Number of men who plan out their weekends a week in advance
53
Percentage of men who like to sleep in on Saturdays
85
Percentage whose internal clocks wake them up at their typical workday time.
1 in 2
Number of men who’ve never lost a Saturday watching a movie marathon
214
Minutes of TV time the average guy logs on a typical weekend day
38
Percentage of men who’ve lied about what they did over the weekend
59
Percentage of men who use weekends to work on household projects
47
Percentage who love weekend chores, even though they complain about them
23
Percentage of men who say they have sex every weekend night
56
Percentage who say they’re more likely to try new sex positions when work isn’t looming
70
Number of extra kilojoules men consume on an average weekend day
4
Average weight (in ounces) people gain between Friday night and Monday morning
1 in 3
Number of men who throw back five or more drinks on a typical weekend night
19
Percentage more cash they spend during their weekend outings than on weekdays
39
Percentage of men who regain their footing by frequently attending weekend religious services
44
Percentage who say Sunday afternoons tend to bum them out
“Highway to Hell” by AC/DC
Song that pumps guys up on Friday afternoon.
James Bond
Cinematic franchise that keeps them glued to the tube.
5
Percentage of men who are more likely to do it doggy-style on a weekend
Beat the Sunday Blues
Weekends are the best – until Sunday evening, when you remember the stack of half-done tasks that you have to tackle at the office on Monday morning. A quick workout is the best way to reduce stress and stay calm, says Dr Thomas Joiner, a professor of psychology at Florida State University. In a study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, men who ran for up to an hour at 80 to 85% intensity felt 14% calmer. If you’re still feeling anxious later on, try a technique calls “decatastrophising.” Tell yourself this: monday at work is not my favourite thing, but it’s not a disaster. I’ve done it many times before.
Maximise your free time
If your weekend schedule is too clear, you risk spending it on the couch. Make a list of three to five activities that you enjoy so you don’t default to the tube out of boredom. Then make a list of friends you haven’t seen in a while. “You fall into traps who you don’t planned you end up seeing the same three people all the time,” says Julie Morgenstern, author of Time Management from the Inside Out (R166, loot.co.za). “If you sit down and work things out by listing the people you want to stay in touch with and the activities you like to do, you’ll have fun instead of resorting to the same old habits.”
Fire up your weekend with her
To keep your weekend hot, plan a wild weekend every once in a while, recommends sex therapist Dr Erica Goodstone. “When couples are first dating, they text and call often with arousing sexual innuendos,” she says. So bring that back: “Send her a few SMSes during the week telling her that you can’t wait to have time with her this weekend,” Goodstone says. When she comes home Friday, greet her with a kiss on the cheek, but don’t start touching her right away. Let her play along and come to you.
