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Mancunians are most stressed on holiday

British holidaymakers take almost two days at the start of their holiday to feel fully relaxed, according to research.

The study by family travel specialist Tots to Travel found that the average British tourist takes 46 hours and 42 minutes to “fully get into the holiday spirit”.

Travellers from Sheffield seem to be the most relaxed, taking less than 33 hours to switch off, their counterparts from Manchester take almost 55 hours to chill out completely.

The survey of 2,000 holidaymakers also found that women de-stress more quickly, as they tend to relax after 42 hours and 42 minutes – more than nine hours ahead of their male counterparts.

And parents feel fully relaxed three hours and 18 minutes sooner than those without children.

More than half (55%) of British holidaymakers watch their favourite TV shows on holiday, while a fifth (21%) continue to work while on holiday.

Dennis Relojo-Howell, psychologist, commented: “Holidays can break the cycle of stress that we get from those daily routines, so the important thing is to prioritise rest and fun.

“My top advice would be to shut the world out – and that includes social media. Think of holiday as a form of self-care.”

Wendy Shand, founder and director at Tots to Travel, said: “Holidays are a time to switch off, spend time with your loved ones and enjoy the culture, food and lifestyle of a new environment. However, as technology brings us closer together, it also makes it harder to break away from our day-to-day routines and take some time to relax.

“With the research showing the average holidaymaker is losing almost two days of their holiday before feeling fully relaxed, it’s clear that we need to do better in embracing the holiday mindset.”

City                  Average Time it Takes to Relax on Holiday

Sheffield          32 hours, 48 minutes

Norwich          34 hours, 42 minutes

Birmingham  37 hours, 0 minutes

Leeds                 37 hours, 30 minutes

Liverpool         38 hours, 18 minutes

Southampton 40 hours, 36 minutes

Glasgow          41 hours, 6 minutes

Bristol              42 hours, 0 minutes

Belfast             43 hours, 36 minutes

Newcastle     46 hours, 12 minutes

Edinburgh      48 hours, 54 minutes

Nottingham   49 hours, 6 minutes

Cardiff             51 hours, 48 minutes

London           54 hours, 0 minutes

Manchester   54 hours, 54 minutes

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