Every Friday spent somewhere you didn’t want to be is a Friday you don’t get back.

Hours you hand over out of habit or politeness do not come back into stock. Weekends feel endless at sixteen because so many of them seem to be waiting, and that is exactly what makes it easy to spend one badly without noticing. Being somewhere you did not choose is a real cost even though nothing was charged for it.

Look at your next two weekends and find the block you are already dreading. Work out whether you owe it to a person or only to a habit. If it is the habit, say no plainly and spend that evening on something you would have picked.