1 in 2 S’poreans Feels Stressed When They Have Nothing To Do, Survey Finds

30% Of Participants Don’t Know How To Relax

Singaporeans are a hardworking bunch of people who spend long hours in the office or at school.

That said, rest is equally, if not more important, especially if you can’t avoid clocking long hours in your daily routine.

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Yet a recent survey, which focused on how Singaporeans spend their time, found some pretty interesting & concerning results.

57% Prefer To Do Something Productive During Breaks

The survey, commissioned by Sentosa Development Corporate (SDC), polled some 600 Singaporeans & permanent residents back in April.

Of these participants, 30% claimed they didn’t know how to relax, while half said they felt “stressed” at the mere thought of not doing anything.

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Accordingly, 57% of those surveyed would prefer to do something more “productive” than taking a break.

Singaporeans want to spend more time with their families

Even though the participants may not like taking breaks, nearly 3-quarter of those surveyed expressed desires to spend more time with their families.

And that isn’t surprising if you consider the amount of time Singaporeans spend with their family & friends.

According to the survey, an average Singaporean spends, excluding mealtime, around 2.8 hours per week with their loved ones & friends. This is equivalent to just slightly more than 1% of the week.

Experts advice integrating work & life

Responding to the survey results, a medical board member at the Institute of Mental Health advised Singaporeans to integrate work & life, instead of seeing them as separate aspects.

In his words,

That means creating a situation where when at work, you can also think about your family. Don’t just say that at work, it’s work, & then when it’s family time, it’s family time.

He added that long breaks may not exactly be effective too. So having an extended holiday away from work may not necessarily be better than a short one.

Encouraging Singaporeans to ‘relax’

The survey is part of a new campaign launched by SDC named “Make Time”, which encourages Singaporeans to have breaks to de-stress.

Part of this campaign are 30-metre swings installed at Palawan beach facing the sea, which will no doubt allow people to unwind & relax.

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Taking a break is important too

Being hardworking is important, but taking a break from time to time is vital too.

We hope this survey’s results will change Singaporeans’ perception towards taking a break & encourage them to embrace the concept of rest being an integral part of work.

Featured image from Mothernest Health Products.