The state of the nation
When was the last time someone told you they weren’t busy in their day to day life? It seems that everyone is trying to juggle more responsibilities while having less time to do them.
We’ve researched the state of the nation to find out how much quality time we really have to ourselves after time spent in work, childcare, running errands, paying bills, commuting, doing housework and sleeping.
For one in six of us, it’s less than an hour a day.
Too much admin
Boring, but essential tasks such as life admin and running errands, take up precious time. On average people estimate they spend 34 minutes a day on admin, such as sorting out insurance and paying bills, and 37 minutes a day running errands. That’s the equivalent of nearly six hours a week!
Our lifestyles are affecting our health
Sadly, one in five of us often find ourselves missing out on things we enjoy because we don’t have time. For 60% of us, our busy lifestyles is even affecting our health, with nearly a quarter of us admitting we feel tired and rundown and one in 10 of us feeling anxious, stressed and depressed.
So what can we all do to improve our work life balance, get on top of all the jobs taking up our time, and improve our mental wellbeing? Admiral MultiCover has teamed up with Richard Daniel Curtis a psychologist and Programme Director of the National Leaders in Mental Health Programme, The Root Of It.
Richard Daniel Curtis’s five top tips to avoid feeling overwhelmed
- Find a way of breaking complex life admin tasks down into things you can achieve – your concept of your own ability to do them makes you more able to cope with the stress of doing them.
- Do not overload yourself with a massive ‘to do’ list – having a list of less than five items will help you feel success as you cross them all off, rather than a never-ending list that doesn’t stop.
- Recognise your own emotions – the more emotionally aware of your emotional journey, the more you are able to manage them and avoid building up.
- Take time for yourself – taking time to unwind and lose yourself in the moment, whether it be a hobby or with close friends, helps to increase ability to cope with stress.
- Notice when the stress is building up and act – stress can easily build up over time and it’s important that we have respite or holidays to allow us to recharge. Even if you’re caring for dependents or running errands, getting someone else to cover your responsibilities for even a short time can make all the difference.
In a typical weekday, this is how we spend our time:
