Burnt-out Brits name countryside as ultimate stress-buster

Added: (Tue Jul 31 2007)

Pressbox (Press Release) - It’s official: the fresh air & rolling hills of the British countryside are the ultimate antidote to the pressures of daily life, say maxed-out members of the public.

According to a new poll commissioned by Ribena, escaping to the countryside is the most effective way to relax & refresh at the weekend. Despite the nation’s fondness for the countryside, 65 per cent of people do not visit it regularly & 1/10 cannot remember when they last spent a day in the country. Not only does the research show that people aren’t making the most of our countryside, but it also paints a bleak picture of a stressed-out Britain that has forgotten how to wind down.
• 47 per cent of working adults said they go to work every Monday wishing it was still the weekend, with those aged under 25 most likely to suffer the blues
• More than 1/3 of adults polled complained they do not feel relaxed & refreshed after a weekend
• Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) feel a weekend is never long enough
Life coach Mo Shapiro of Inform-Global, together with Ribena, wants to encourage more people to escape to the countryside for complete weekend relaxation, said:
“The pace of life keeps getting faster, & so it’s vital that people set aside time at the weekend to unwind & recharge their physical & emotional batteries. People know what will rejuvenate them most, yet they’re not finding the time to take advantage of simple treats like a day out in the countryside. They often forget to make the time to take care of themselves & neglect any regular ‘me’ time.
“As a result, they’re going to work tired & could be entering a dangerous pattern that ultimately leads to burn-out. When they compare the benefits of a change of scenery to the damage of staying stressed they are more likely to take action - often it’s just a case of changing habits & making time out a part of the weekend routine.”
Ribena asked what stops them from escaping there at the weekend. The top reason cited was lack of time, but 1/5 adults confessed that they would not think of spending a day in the countryside when planning their weekends.
To inspire more people to indulge in a countryside escape, life coach Mo Shapiro worked with Ribena to develop 10 top tips for the ultimate day out in the country:
1. let the sights, sounds & smells of the countryside reinvigorate your mind & body
2. a healthy heart helps to reduce stress & with more than 4,500 miles of sign-posted cycle routes to explore, now is the time to get on your bike
3. some NHS doctors even prescribe walking in the country as a cure for depression.
4. let your hair down to relieve stress at one of the hundreds of festivals happening this summer up & down the country
5. Ribena has been growing blackcurrants in the British countryside for 70 years, & believe that fruit never tastes better than when you’ve picked your own
6. spend some quality time with friends & family over a picnic or pub lunch in the countryside
7. allow yourself a maximum 90 minute lie-in. Your early start will make you feel more refreshed
8. leave your worries at home & soak in some beautiful scenery to help lower your stress levels.
9. if you can’t bring yourself to leave your mobile phone at home, turn it off in 30 minute bursts for as long as you can.
10. don’t forget about the countryside once your day out is over - try to weave a little bit of countryside magic into your daily life.