Workaholic Brits suffer from urban fatigue

One in five urbanites never take weekend breaks and a quarter only manage to escape the city twice a year, which causes them to feel run down and suffer from ‘urban fatigue’, according to new research.

Norwich Union surveyed the inhabitants of ten major UK cities and found that stressed out city dwellers are finding it increasingly difficult to get away from urban life and unwind properly at weekends.

Main findings include:

70% of city dwellers feel stressed by city life
One in three regularly take work-related calls at the weekend
One in five urbanites never leave the city at weekends
Yet two thirds (66%) recognise the need for a regular change of scenery

Research psychologist Dr Aric Sigman believes that many city workers are suffering from so-called ‘urban fatigue’ and could be risking their physical and mental health simply because they don’t experience a change of environment, routine and gear while remaining in the city and don’t leave the city often enough.

He said: “Many Brits still only take the traditional big annual holiday, but as society becomes increasingly urbanised and lifestyles more hectic, there’s a real need for city dwellers to take small breaks on a more regular basis. Research has shown that it is far more beneficial for the mind and body to take lots of mini breaks. In fact, just the knowledge that we’re escaping produces spontaneous relaxation allowing stressed out professionals to redress the balance and prevent ill health.”

Despite experts recommending escaping the city on a regular basis, a quarter of city workers surveyed are put off using their car at weekends to get away from the city because of high running costs. Yet hopping in the car and getting away from it all is one of the best ways to help combat urban fatigue.

Kay Martin, head of “Pay As You Drive” insurance at Norwich Union, explains: “There are clear benefits to escaping the city and recharging the batteries ahead of a new week. For urbanites concerned about the running costs of their car, “Pay As You Drive” insurance is an ideal policy because premiums are charged on a usage basis from less than 1p per mile at weekends, meaning customers don’t need to worry about paying when the car’s sat on the driveway during the week.

We would encourage hard working professionals to literally give themselves a break and make sure they get out of the city more – they’ll be amazed at the benefits.”

Additional benefits of “Pay As You Drive” insurance include:

GPS technology means that urbanites who are escaping the city also have access to

Smartnav - perfect for embarking on those uncharted trips out of the city at weekends

An emergency button so that in the event of a breakdown or accident, drivers can immediately speak to a person who can locate the vehicle and provide help

Monthly billing so expenditure is even easier to manage

Dr Sigman has some simple steps city dwellers can follow to combat urban fatigue:

Escape the city ideally once a month

Swap the tarmac jungle or treadmill at the weekend for a park or country path

Get your RDA of greenery by spending 20 minutes a day in a public park/garden and even longer out of the city at weekends – this is known to stimulate many health benefits from lower blood pressure to reduced irritability

Spend quality time on relationships, taking time out at the weekend to go on a family day out and limit any work-related calls you have to take

Give your eyes a break from screen gazing by minimising TV viewing to two hours per day at the weekend and avoid turning on your computer at all

Visit local areas of interest to stimulate your mind and to give your eyes a change of scenery