Majority of Respondents Want More Rest
With the goal of probing people’s resting habits and their attitudes towards relaxation and busyness, Durham University researchers conducted the world’s largest survey and came up with interesting results.
The survey revealed that 68% of respondents want more rest and nearly a third (32 per cent) of respondents said they need more rest than the average person.
More than 18,000 people from 134 different countries took part in the Rest Test.
The Link between Rest and Well-being
One key finding also highlighted the link between rest and well-being of people. This is better illustrated when the survey showed that those who felt they needed more rest scored lower in terms of well-being. Similarly, those who responded saying they think they get more rest than average or don’t feel in need of more rest, had well-being scores twice as high as those who wanted more rest.
Reading Ranks No.1 For Most Restful Activities
The survey named five of the most restful activities. Reading ranks first as the most restful activity. Below is the complete result with corresponding percentages from the total number of respondents.
- Reading (58 per cent)
- Being in the natural environment (53.1 per cent)
- Being on their own (52.1 per cent)
- Listening to music (40.6 per cent)
- Doing nothing in particular (40 per cent)
Other Results
The survey also revealed important findings. One is to know how many hours of rest that the respondents had within the last 24 hours. For those younger people with high paying jobs, they tend to have fewer hours of rest. Similarly, for those with caring responsibilities or in shift work which included night schedules, they also reported fewer hours of rest. For UK respondents, they only have 3 hours and 8 minutes of rest.
About the Rest Test
The Rest Test was designed by Hubbub, an international collective of social scientists, artists, humanities researchers, scientists, broadcasters, public engagement professionals and mental health experts, in residence at the Hub at Wellcome Collection in London, led by Durham University.
