 People worry about work or catching up on chores at the weekend |
Many British people fail to relax at weekends, despite working some of the longest hours in Europe, researchers have said. According to a survey, many people are spending their weekends worrying about work or catching up on chores.
Less than a quarter of people associate weekends with having fun, the poll of 1,002 adults by ICM for the tourist organisation, Visit London, indicates.
A third of those questioned said they did four hours' housework on Sunday.
One in seven women find the weekend is a time when depression sets in about the week ahead.
More than a third of Brits (38%) are depriving themselves of their precious Sunday rest time, meaning that over 16.8 million people are effectively working a six-day week.
The research concluded that applying an industrious work ethic to the traditional day of rest deprives the nation of an average of 112 million hours every week.
David Campbell, chief executive of Visit London, said: "This research highlights a worrying trend for weekends to be reduced to just a few carefree hours on Saturdays as Sundays herald the ominous arrival of the busy week ahead.
"We are launching Totally London Festivals Month, a month-long programme of totally free, weekend events running throughout September to inspire people across the country to reclaim their Sundays."
According to the survey, Scottish people are least likely to take a trip out, while more than a third of the Welsh spend Sundays in front of the television.
Londoners are almost twice as likely to be thinking about work on Sundays as the rest of the country and East Midlanders are the least calm on Sundays, with 55% feeling stressed and worried rather than relaxed and happy.
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