Two-thirds of Brits see car as a ‘stress-busting’ area
Many drivers relax by working on or cleaning their vehicles.
Two-thirds of Brits find that their car represents a ‘big stress and anxiety-busting area’, according to a new survey.
Not only do drivers find time with their vehicle relaxing but a third spend up to two hours working on their car to help reduce ownership costs, with 13 per cent saving up to £150 through this process.
The survey of 2,000 people by eBay also found that 42 per cent see polishing their vehicle as the most relaxing car-related task, followed by routine maintenance and fixing and changing the headlight with 41 and 19 per cent respectively. One in four say that they spend more time working on their car or motorcycle than they do on any other hobby or task, too.
The study also found that over 56 per cent believe that everyday tasks can be more relaxing than meditation or yoga with jobs that don’t require any real thought being the best for finding a ‘moment of calm’.
Psychologist Dr Lisa Dorn, said: “It is interesting to see from this research, how many of the simplest, seemingly mundane tasks in life, are actually calming and therapeutic. From a psychological perspective, people get into a zone, or mental state, in which they don’t need to think and are fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus and enjoyment.
“It’s as if action and consciousness melt together as people concentrate on the task rather than their worries and concerns.”
Other everyday activities that people found relaxing included folding the washing, doing the ironing or going to the supermarket.
In contrast, money, work, family and health were the areas of life which people said caused them the most amount of stress.
