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