One in five urbanites never take weekend breaks and a quarter only manage to escape the city twice a year, which causes them to feel run down and suffer from “urban fatigue,” according to new research by Norwich Union.
Norwich Union surveyed the inhabitants of 10 major UK cities and found that stressed-out city dwellers are finding it increasingly difficult to get away from urban life and unwind properly at weekends.
Main findings include:
– 70 percent of city dwellers feel stressed by city life- One in three regularly take work-related calls at the weekend- One in five urbanites never leave the city at weekends, yet two-thirds (66 percent) recognise the need for a regular change of scenery- Behavioural psychologist Dr. Aric Sigman believes that city workers are suffering from so-called “urban fatigue” and could be risking their physical and mental health simply because they don’t leave the city often enough.
“Many Brits still only take the traditional big annual holiday, but as society becomes increasingly urbanised and lifestyles more hectic, there’s a real need for city dwellers to take small breaks on a more regular basis,” Sigman says. “Research has shown that it is far more beneficial for the mind and body to take lots of mini breaks. In fact, just the knowledge that we’re escaping produces spontaneous relaxation allowing stressed out professionals to redress the balance and prevent ill health.”