The rest test is part of a wider collaboration between BBC Radio 4 and Wellcome Collection’s researchers in residence, Hubbub.
This week’s blog is in fact an invitation to you to take part in a large online survey that will explore how people worldwide rest today, what are the resting habits people from different nations have today, as well as their attitude towards relaxation and busyness.
The test is part of a wider collaboration between BBC Radio 4 and Wellcome Collection’s researchers in residence, Hubbub.
The survey comes at a time when the topic of rest is at the forefront of many people’s minds. Interest in self-tracking tools is soaring and wellbeing has become a matter of public policy with an all-party parliamentary group exploring the benefits of mindfulness.
There is increasing scrutiny of working patterns, whether through some companies’ policy allowing staff to take as much holiday as they need or the move to a six hour working day by Swedish companies.
The results will increase understanding of people’s perceptions of rest and the way these relate to an individual’s work or daily habits, as well as their experiences of health, illness, disability, satisfaction with life and the tendency to mind wander.
The kinds of questions the survey will address include:
- How does rest affect health and wellbeing?
- How do people vary in what they experience as restful?
- Does an individual’s personality, health history and caring responsibilities have an effect on how much rest they get or the kinds of activities they find restful?
- How do attitudes to and experiences of rest vary between different countries in the world?
Claudia Hammond, presenter of Radio 4’s All in the Mind and associate director of Hubbub, explains: “Rest is widely regarded as important to our wellbeing but there’s so much we don’t know about it. We vary a lot in how much time we have to spend resting and even what we consider it to be. Running might feel relaxing to one person, but exhausting to another. Sometimes we want to calm our minds, while at other times we focus on letting our bodies recover. The test will help us find out more about our relationships with rest and how it affects all our lives.”
The questionnaire is split into two parts, with an initial section taking 5-10 minutes, followed by more in-depth questions which can be completed in stages.
Please, see the link below to take part in this survey:
The results will be analysed and announced on All in the Mind on BBC Radio 4 in April 2016.
The source: BBC Magazine
