Dr Justin Thomas is a chartered health psychologist with the British Psychological Society, the author of 'Psychological Well-being in the Gulf States' and a columnist for The National
January 09, 2022
Since January 1, the UAE's public sector has had a new working week, with much of the rest of the country expected to follow suit. The new schedule is Monday to Thursday with a half-day on Friday. This will bring a new weekend and a shorter working week for many people.
It is not the first time the weekend has had a makeover. Back in 2006, when I first arrived in the UAE, it shifted from Thursday-Friday, to Friday-Saturday. Far more radical changes have occurred at other times and in other places. For example, in France, shortly after the 1789 revolution, a 10-day week was introduced with a one-day weekend (decadi). Fortunately, this revolutionary calendar with its nine-day working week never caught on.
Whichever way we choose to slice time, the days of the week become more than just names or numbers on a calendar. Each day has its own meaning; this can be a personal association or one the broader community shares. For example, as a child I detested Sundays. It was the last day of the weekend; it symbolised the end of fun, the end of good TV. It meant early to bed and school the next day. I was never a huge fan of Monday either. In fact, everyone I knew hated Mondays, a sentiment immortalised by the Irish pop group, The Boomtown Rats, in their 1979 hit song I don't like Mondays.
In the UK, dislike of Mondays was further implanted in the popular imagination by the bogus idea of "Blue Monday". Its origins are tied to a winter-sun promotional campaign by an unscrupulous travel company. Blue Monday is claimed to be the unhappiest day of the year, falling on the last Monday of the last full week of January, supposedly a good time to get away.
People take a walk on the Buhaira Corniche in Sharjah on Friday as the emirate ushered in its first three-day weekend. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National
A man tries to fly a colourful kite on the Buhaira Corniche.
People relaxing on the first day of the weekend. Government employees in the emirate now have a three-day weekend; Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Many took advantage of the long weekend and good weather to enjoy the outdoors.
A man relaxes on the Buhaira Corniche.
Some decided to spend their time fishing on Friday.
A man takes a short nap on the Buhaira Corniche.
Unhappy Mondays are a feature of life in the UAE, too, at least for some people. A few years ago, I worked with talented data scientist Dr Amna Al Shehhi on a study we published in the journal Big Data in 2019. Our study used an algorithm known as "hedonometer 2.0", designed to measure "happiness" or, more accurately, expressions of positive sentiment. Our data set included over 17 million tweets by residents of the UAE between 2013 and 2017. When looking at Arabic tweets, Sunday was the most miserable day of the week. However, Monday was the least happy when analysing the English tweets. We suspect many English-speaking Twitter users brought their historic dislike of Mondays to the UAE. Friday was the happiest day in both languages.
Beyond pleasant and unpleasant feelings, Monday also shows up as a particularly deadly day of the week in many nations. Data from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a spike in heart-attack deaths on Mondays. An international review study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology concurs. After reviewing 27 previous studies, the authors concluded that: "The incidence of sudden cardiac death is markedly increased on Monday, similar for men and women, and for individuals below and above 65 years of age." One possible contributor to the Monday increase in cardiac deaths is the work-leisure cycle. Activities such as weekend binge drinking and even watching football matches are cited as possible precursors or precipitating triggers to Monday cardiac events.
A similar pattern of mortality emerges when we look at the data for suicide. A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders in 2016examined England's suicide data over 15 years. The study identified Monday as the day of the week people most frequently took their lives. This finding has been explained as the "new beginning" hypothesis, the idea that people are more likely to become suicidal at the transition into a new time period: the start of a new week, the beginning of a new year. Almost like a line in the sand: "if things haven't improved by next week, they never will."
Understanding the association between disease, days of the week and even emotional distress can be helpful. For example, we can use such information to improve cardiac care, inform patient discharge planning and suicide prevention strategies. Additionally, understanding the work-leisure cycle and the meanings behind days of the week can help us fine tune social policy and public health initiatives.
The Germans have an excellent word (they always do), "zeitgeber", meaning time-giver. Zeitgebers are external or environmental cues, such as light and dark, heat and cold, which help reset and regulate our biological rhythms – our body clocks. I see the days of the week as psychological zeitgebers; they reset our moods and help regulate our emotional clocks.
For people who grew up in the UAE, Monday probably has generally neutral associations. However, now that Monday signals the start of the working week – the end of the weekend – it may begin to take on a new emotional significance. Whichever way these recent changes play out, a shorter working week – an extended weekend – is generally very welcome.
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Know before you go
Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich 1
Kimmich (27')
Real Madrid 2
Marcelo (43'), Asensio (56')
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Essentials
The flights Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes. The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast. The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
