Introducing Long Week Short Week (Beta)

It started with a question.

“Does this week feel long or short to you?”

I used to ask that question a lot, especially during the height of remote work in 2020 and 2021. In a time when days blurred into each other and our homes became offices, schools, and daycares, it felt important to check in with people. Not just with “How are you?” but with something a little more revealing, a little more empathetic. “Long week or short week?” became my way of quietly measuring how someone was doing emotionally.

Their answers, and more importantly, the way they answered, told me a lot. Was it a tired smile and a shrug? A quick laugh? A heavy pause? Over time, I learned how much that small, almost throwaway question could actually open up.

Long Week Short Week was born from that.

The idea started forming after one too many Google Meet check-ins where I could sense someone needed more than just another task off their plate. It was in those moments I realized we don’t always have the vocabulary, or the space, to name what we’re feeling. But we do feel it. We carry it in how we move through the week, how we show up to conversations, and how we respond to challenges.

Eventually, my boss (shoutout to Leslie) just said, “You should make this a thing. Like actually build it. Long Week Short Week.”

So I did.

What Is Long Week Short Week?

Long Week Short Week is a check-in tool, a mental wellness idea, and a self-awareness compass. It’s not a personality test. It’s not therapy. It’s a rhythm-based reflection that gives you language for right now.

Each week (or how ever often you so choose), you answer three questions:

1. How does this week feel right now?
2. How do you view this week’s challenges?
3. How connected do you feel to others around you?

And then you choose how you’re feeling emotionally. Not your forever-self. Just this moment.

From your answers, you’re matched with one of 8 animal archetypes, each reflecting your current rhythm of time, challenge, and connection. These aren’t random animals. They’re emotional metaphors:

• The Bear who moves slow and steady through isolation.
• The Otter who rides the chaos with playfulness.
• The Camel who endures without complaint.
• The Fox who’s clever but fraying at the edges.

Each archetype has a “Doing Okay” and a “Feeling Off” state. Because we all shift. We all adapt. And those fluctuations matter.

The point of Long Week Short Week is to notice the shift. To name it. And then, if you’re ready, do something with it.

Why It Matters

We’ve all had moments where we’ve felt out of sync with our work, our people, or even ourselves. But too often, we don’t have tools to recognize or express it. We just say we’re tired. Or busy. Or fine.

This project gives people a new way in. A shared language. A starting point.

Because maybe that coworker who seems detached isn’t checked out—they’re just a Worn Camel doing their best. Maybe your kid isn’t bouncing off the walls—they’re a Joyful Otter trying to stay afloat. Maybe you feel off and don’t know why—until you land on your archetype and realize, “Yep. That’s me. That’s exactly it.”

The goal here isn’t to label anyone permanently. It’s to reflect back who we are in this moment, and give gentle suggestions for Restoration, Growth, or Meaning.

What’s in Beta

Right now, Long Week Short Week is live as a soft launch. You can:

• Take the check-in
• Learn your archetype and emotional state
• Explore key traits, deeper meaning, and ways to restore or grow

We’re also adding:

• Weekly rituals and prompts
• A blog with deeper dives and archetype explorations
• The ability to track how your archetype changes over time

The site is lightweight. The content is growing. But the foundation is here.

And so is the invitation.

Where We Go From Here

Long Week Short Week is a beginning. It’s a small tool with the potential for deeper impact. I built it because I believe that understanding our rhythms—especially the emotional ones—makes us more empathetic. To ourselves. To others.

I want managers to check in with their teams in new ways.
I want friends to ask better questions.
I want people to recognize their patterns, feel less alone, and find small ways to move forward.

That’s it. That’s the goal.

Thanks for being here at the beginning. I’m excited to keep building this alongside anyone who finds value in it.

Let’s find your rhythm.

Long week or short week?