Health

Most Brits Never Feel Truly Rested, New Study Sparks Concern

Published on May 20, 2025

It turns out a cuppa and five minutes on the sofa just isn’t cutting it anymore. New research has revealed that more than half of UK adults never feel truly rested, and it’s setting off alarm bells among mental health experts.

The study, conducted by Platinum Spas, looked at how much downtime Brits are getting, and the results are pretty grim. On average, people are squeezing in just over three hours of real rest a week, not including sleep. Even more worrying, 1 in 12 said they haven’t felt properly rested in the last six months.

Clinical psychologist Dr Gracie McLaven, who’s worked extensively with patients in crisis, says the findings are “alarming” but not at all surprising. “I hear this a lot in the therapy room,” she said. “When over half the UK population never feels properly rested, we have to see this as a serious public health concern”, reports Surrey Live.

Dr McLaven stressed that rest isn’t some luxury or sign of laziness—it’s a biological and psychological necessity. “It’s during these quiet moments that our brain is able to process thoughts, regulate emotions, and consolidate memories,” she explained. Without it, we’re left feeling overloaded and emotionally drained, and even the smallest tasks can feel impossible.

According to the survey, 53% of respondents admitted they never feel fully rested. Not only that, but 55% are already dealing with full-on burnout, and nearly half of us are feeling stressed every single day. It’s no wonder so many people are walking around in a fog of low mood, anxiety, and zero motivation.

What’s stopping us from getting the rest we need? Apparently, it’s ourselves. A staggering 90% of people say they struggle to rest because of internal or external pressure, mostly the feeling that rest equals laziness. Then there’s “performative rest” (you know, scrolling TikTok or bingeing Netflix while claiming to ‘switch off’), which over a quarter of us admit is a hurdle.

Dr McLaven also pointed out a key issue she sees all the time: guilt. “Almost half of Brits admit feeling guilty when taking time to rest,” she said. “It almost always traces back to the belief that their self-worth is tied to productivity.”

She suggests we rethink our approach to rest entirely. Even 15–30 minutes of intentional downtime can improve mood, focus, and patience. “There’s a beautiful Italian phrase: ‘Il dolce far niente’—the sweetness of doing nothing,” she said. “Reclaiming rest as something valuable and joyful could be one of the most powerful shifts we make for our mental wellbeing.”

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