AVERAGE AMERICAN NEEDS 60 'LAZY DAYS' A YEAR

Matt Case - August 8th, 2024 - 10:10am PDT 

Americans Need 60 Lazy Days Per Year to Feel Rested and Relaxed, Survey Finds

A recent survey reveals that Americans need about 60 lazy days per year to feel adequately rested and relaxed. The poll of 2,000 Americans examined how people utilize days dedicated to doing nothing for self-care and identified the components of a perfect lazy day.

According to the survey, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Berkshire Blanket & Home Co. for National Lazy Day on Aug. 10, Americans take their lazy days seriously. One in five (21%) plans their lazy days in advance, while 67% prefer to take them spontaneously. A small but organized group (11%) even schedules their do-nothing days a few weeks ahead of time.

The poll also found that nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents are likely to keep their lazy day plans to themselves, choosing to relax at home without informing others.

Lazy day trends show that Sundays (39%) and Saturdays (27%) are the most popular days for taking it easy. In contrast, Tuesday is the least favored, with only 5% selecting it as their preferred day for relaxation.

Respondents detailed their typical lazy day activities, which include spending two hours lying in bed, an hour eating, three hours binge-watching movies and TV, an hour reading, and two hours scrolling on their phones. They also reported spending three hours doing absolutely nothing, two hours napping, and a full hour dreading the next day.

"In honor of National Lazy Day, we wanted to see how Americans rest and rejuvenate during a much-needed lazy day," said Mei Higgins, vice president of merchandising at Berkshire Blanket & Home Co. "Everyone deserves a rest day here and there, maybe even a bit more often, and days like these are so important when it comes to wellness. The study even found that almost three in four people (74%) said lazy days are crucial when it comes to self-care."

America’s ideal lazy day consists of:

• 3 hours watching movies and TV
• 3 hours doing absolutely nothing
• 3 hours simply sitting and enjoying one’s living space
• 2 hours in bed
• 2 hours scrolling on one’s phone
• 2 hours napping
• 1 hour eating
• 1 hour reading
• 1 hour listening to an audiobook or podcast
• 1 hour dreading the next day