SOCIAL FABRIC
"Social connection is what makes a community stronger. But many of us feel too burnt out, tired and under pressure to participate in civic life. These symptoms are real, but our diagnosis is wrong. It's not as simple as overworking or getting too little sleep. But our days have become busier and the balance between different activities has been lost making us feel overwhelmed. We need to help people take back control of their time if we are to reweave the social fabric and revitalising civic life."
In a series of focus groups, Onward has found people still felt “too busy” or “too knackered” to participate in leisure activities. Burnt Out Britain provides fresh analysis on our use of time and argues that these symptoms – tiredness, feeling overworked and feeling rushed – are real but the diagnosis is wrong.
There are two problems. For most of us we are doing more and are chopping-and-changing between activities more frequently, making us feel overwhelmed. For example, people are doing the same number of activities on working days as people who aren’t working. But work can take up an average of 7 hours 14 minutes – or approximately 30% of the day.
But some groups are also having their time squeezed by work and personal commitments, like parents, part-time workers and night workers.
Helping people take back control over their time is essential if we are give people time to connect and take part in civic life.
The new report argues that rapid shifting between activities is breaking down the distinction between the different types of time – creating a greater sense of pressure, as well as reducing the quality of activities. In 1974, the average man changed activity 18 times in the day, which almost doubled to 31 times in 2014, and women have seen an equivalent increase, from 23 to 37.
People are not sleeping less, in fact many are sleeping more. On average, adults have increased their time sleeping by around 30 minutes a day over the last four decades.
Overall people are not working significantly longer hours. Working time has actually decreased for men by 2%, with only a minor increase for women of 13%.
The share of people reporting that they are often rushed has fallen in the last two decades from 20% to 17%. But the share of people saying they almost never feel rushed has fallen too.
People are not sleeping less, in fact many are sleeping more. On average, adults have increased their time sleeping by around 30 minutes a day over the last four decades.
Overall people are not working significantly longer hours. Working time has actually decreased for men by 2%, with only a minor increase for women of 13%.
The share of people reporting that they are often rushed has fallen in the last two decades from 20% to 17%. But the share of people saying they almost never feel rushed has fallen too.
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