Even if we are not rushing from place to place, there are still distractions from our smartphones, or stress of the things that we still need to do. That many people today suffer from this is also evident in the large study by Dunham University,where they surveyed 18,000 people from 134 different countries about rest and relaxation.
The results were clear: 68% of people would like to have more peace in everyday life. Almost a third (32%) of people said that they think they need more rest than the average person, and only 10% said they need less rest than required.
Work, Work, Work!
Another important result is that people who feel that they need more rest, feel overall worse than people who do not. “The research shows a correlation between the ability of people to take rest and wellbeing”, said lead researcher Felicity Callard. “We are delighted that these results combat the common image that there is a link between peace and laziness”.
Behavioural Psychologist Wout Fontane Pennock thinks this really fits into our western culture. “It's always just work, work, work. This is seen as a good thing”, he says. “We want to show that we contribute to society”. Yet Fontane Pennock thinks that there is a bit of a turnaround in this thinking. “Especially larger organizations are slowly realizing that rest is good too”.
How Should We Relax?
According to Fontane Pennock people must therefore be less afraid to say to their boss that they are too busy. “People often feel trepidation, but there is quite a lot to be discussed at work”, he says. “And the more we stand up for ourselves, the more normal it becomes”.
Even outside work, it is important to take rest; Fontane Pennock recommendsscheduling a time for yourself every day. That may be for meditation, but also just to think for a moment. “If you associate it with a time of day it can really become a habit”, he says. “If you do it for a longer time, then youreally begin to see the effects”.
Source: http://www.rtlnieuws.nl