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The fact that rest is useful is a common truth. The question is, how and how much? After all, when there is too much rest, it causes discomfort; when it is not enough, it causes overstrain and exhaustion. We share the best ways to relax.
How the rapid development of technology affects every individual, every family and the human community as a whole, was stated in 1970 by the American sociologist and futurist Alvin Toffler in his famous book Futureshock. The author briefly explains the meaning of the term “future shock” as follows: “Too many changes in too short a period of time.”
However, even earlier, in 1899, the American physician, philosopher and educator William James, who is considered by many to be the father of modern psychology, prophetically emphasized the importance of rest in his concise essay The Gospel of Relaxation. But today, making time for activities that will help relieve stress is perhaps more important than ever.
The pace of life is accelerating before our eyes, with each new innovation in the field of digital technologies
How do such rapid changes affect our mental and physical well-being? What can we do to slow things down in our daily lives? A recent global survey of 18 people in 134 countries, called “The Rest Test”, summarized a vast amount of information about our subjective perception of rest and peace.
Rest, relaxation, well-being: what is the connection between them?
The Rest Test was developed by London-based Hubbub, an international team of social scientists, mental health experts and cultural figures. This project was led by scientists from the University of Durham (UK) and supported by BBC radio.
The researchers set out to determine where our contemporaries find an outlet, how they find balance and peace in this crazy rhythm of life. In addition, the researchers wanted to rank these types of relaxation, and at the same time to find out how they correlate with the level of subjective well-being of the respondents (their sense of happiness and life satisfaction). As a result of the study, the top 10 most soothing activities were determined.
What do people prefer to do to relax?
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Spend time in nature
To be alone with yourself
Listen to music
Don’t do anything special
Walk
Take a bath or shower
Dream
Watch TV
Meditate or practice mindfulness
Interestingly, the most prosperous (according to the scores obtained) study participants admitted in the questionnaire that they devote five to six hours a day to calm, relaxing activities. But there is one caveat: an overly relaxed lifestyle backfires. Those who reported taking more than five or six hours of rest were no longer as satisfied with their daily existence.
Soothing activities and lounging are not synonymous
The main conclusion that can be drawn from the results of the survey: making time for activities that allow you to relieve stress and recover from the hustle and bustle of endless cases, we feel more satisfaction from life in both the short and long term.
Study leader Felicity Callard elaborates: “Our project showed that a person’s ability to relax and their level of well-being are interconnected. We are glad that these discoveries counter the conventional wisdom that resting means being lazy and inactive. It’s funny that the most popular of the calming activities involve being alone, alone with yourself.
Apparently, the concept of “relax” should be understood not as hours of rest literally, as time without work, but as an opportunity to avoid the presence of others.
Countless empirical studies have long proven that social support is a key factor in our well-being. And this means that we will always have to balance between the ability to be socially active and in demand, and the ability to completely disconnect from the outside world. We hope this list will remind you of simple ways to find peace – daily! in a troubled world.