‘Me time’: those increasingly elusive minutes we try and grab throughout the day, where the rules and the precious seconds are all yours.
Unwinding. Exercising. There are so many ways to enjoy those spare moments. Unfortunately, on any given day, whether we’ll actually get to spend some attention on ourselves can feel all too uncertain.
‘Me time’ can be essential – but with modern life seemingly busier than ever, how much do people really have?
888 Casino commissioned a survey of 2,000 people to answer this very question – and shed a light on some other fascinating details.
Our findings show that:
• British people get about half as much ‘me time’ on average as they’d ideally like.
• One third of Brits are unsure what to do with their free time, despite eight in ten respondents considering it vital.
• More than half of people asked consider ‘me time’ to be productive, with ’ switching off’ being seen as a top benefit.
• Many people tend to mainly grab ‘me time’ when they are eating, going to sleep, or using the bathroom!
• Work, chores and general ‘life admin’ are among the biggest barriers to getting time to ourselves.
So, with ‘me time’ in high demand but short supply, how are people capturing those spare minutes in the day that belong to them – and what are they doing with it? Read on to find out using a few well-spent minutes of your own free time.
‘Me time’ is at a premium for busy Brits
‘Me time’ is often scarce these days. In fact, for many Brits, the only chance they get to indulge in it is during their three daily meals, at bedtime, or during a private moment on the loo.
• On average, Brits only get 46 minutes of free time a day. That’s less than an hour dedicated to themselves.
• The ideal amount of ‘me time’ the average Brit actually wants, however, is one hour and 30 minutes. That’s about double the average people say they get!
So, what’s getting in the way?
It turns out some of the most common barriers to ‘me time’ are:
• Everyday chores. More than half of the people surveyed agreed that daily chores detracted from their free time.
• Work. Over half of those interviewed said finding ‘me time’ was more difficult due to their jobs.
• Parenting. 43% find that raising a child and all the daily tasks involved significantly impacts their personal time.
• ‘Life admin’. This includes things like personal banking, making appointments and organising bills. Around a third of people found this to be to the detriment of their free time.
Only half of Brits surveyed believe they make ‘me time’ enough of a priority, and one in three believe they actively do not make it enough of a priority.
For 13%, the longest time they’ve gone without any dedicated, personal time is up to a week.
Only 1% felt they had no free time to themselves at all, but around 10% stated they rarely got any ‘me time’.
With such a premium on time, you would think people would be ready to ration it. Yet, more than one in 10 people felt when they did get ‘me time’, they struggled to know what to do with it.
Perhaps it’s become so rare, that for many, it’s difficult to plan for.
Having spare time can bring major benefits
Responses varied, but many people saw an array of positive benefits of having spare time.
• A fifth of people feel ‘carefree’ after having a suitable amount of ‘me time.’
• More than four in 10 people say they feel ‘rested’ afterwards.
• More than a fifth of people get a sense of relief following a desirable amount of free time.
• 71% of those polled say it makes them feel relaxed.
• 33% of those asked appreciated the sense of quiet from their ‘me time’.
The trend is obvious – free time makes people feel better in their own, unique ways.
Let’s not forget the old saying about all work and no play either. Positive and healthy leisure activities can really give us a boost. Plus, ‘me time’ means we can have some fun – and do we really need a bigger reason than that?
What we use our ‘me time’ for
Of all the leisure activities people can jump into in their spare time, the following three stood out:
• Reading. More than half of people enjoy reading a good book when they can.
• Walking in the countryside. 41% of respondents enjoy going for a country walk if they’re able too – though this is less common in younger age ranges.
• Doing nothing at all. Many respondents noted they liked to do nothing at all – in fact, one in three people enjoy just taking some downtime.
The most popular activities seem to focus on winding down, or some form of relaxation. Even outside of the top three responses, listening to music, having a relaxing bath, and catching up with friends are all popular choices.
With so many people unsure what to do, and ‘me time’ often grabbed while eating, or at bedtime, this may be why over half of people enjoy activities like reading – as it’s easy to do, even when time is short.
One interesting finding is that 13% of people value their ‘me time’ for doing life admin – demonstrating how our free time can sometimes blur into our daily tasks.
Boomers have more ‘me time’ than Zoomers
Day to day life is different for everybody, but certain demographics do appear to have more time on their hands than others.
• ‘Boomers.’ Over-55s believe they get the most ‘me time’ of any age group, with an average of 53 minutes per day.
• ‘Zoomers’. Those aged 18-24 believe they get the least ‘me time’, with just 33.9 minutes on an average day.
When ‘me time’ minutes are this precious, the difference adds up. Of course, retirement may give you a lot of additional ‘me time’ compared to someone juggling a degree and a job.
Compared to the national average of 45 minutes, Zoomers are living up to their nickname and appear to be the busiest Brits.
But age isn’t the only factor – ‘me time’ also varies by region, too.
The regions that reported the highest amount of average free time per day were:
• East Midlands – 50:15 mins
• Yorkshire and the Humber – 51:03 mins
• South-East – 49:85 mins
While regions with residents that reported the least amount of free time included:
• London – 37:19 mins
• Northern Ireland – 37.56 mins
• West Midlands – 40.87 mins
Wherever you live, and whatever your age group, our ‘me time’ is at a premium – but just as important as ever.
Choosing ways to spend your free moments in the way that you want is essential. From books to country walks, what are you doing with those spare minutes you make time for in the day?
