Virgin Active blog
40 Things we are not getting enough of
It turns out that most of us are not getting enough sleep, me-time – or fun – according to new research.
A recent survey revealed the top 40 things that adults in the UK don’t feel like they are getting enough of in their lives, ranging from the basics like sleep, exercise and sunlight to disposable income and something good to watch on TV.
Understanding what ‘enough’ means to you, and the things that stop you getting it, is key is key to being satisfied with what we have.
“It’s important to take an honest approach to realistic and achievable exercise goals,” says Head of Group Exercise, Israel Rivera. “We should do exactly what is enough for us and no one else.”
But what is enough?
Apparently, seven hours is the ideal amount of sleep per night, but the average adult is only getting six.
And while Brits do three hours of exercise a week, we think that the ‘perfect’ amount is twice that. This might be ambitious for the one in four of us that don’t do any.
Not being paid enough also makes the list, as do holidays and nights out. Some cheeky Brits claim they aren’t getting enough sex. Which makes you wonder what they are doing with the extra hour they think they should be sleeping.
What stops you getting enough?
The biggest barrier stopping us from getting enough exercise is money. Closely followed by a lack of willpower and simply not having the time.
We’re not falling for the super-human levels of ‘enough’ we see on social media either. Nearly seven in ten of us feel that celebrities and influencers give unrealistic expectations on how much exercise is actually feasible.
It could be due to the fact that we don’t get enough good luck or respect that we feel a little short-changed. But it’s our perceived lack of time that is the most pervasive issue. We only get an hour and a quarter of me-time and only two-thirds of the time we think we should be spending with our families.
“It can be hard to fit into your life - between your job, family and trying to have a social life, but when you strike the right balance, and ‘Enough’ becomes part of your life, you will find you’re able to achieve more than you ever expected, whether you have 30 minutes or hours to spare.”
Here are the top 40 things we are not getting enough of:
- Sleep
- Holidays
- Disposable income
- Exercise
- Sunlight
- Sex
- Salary
- Good luck
- Fresh air
- Fun
- Me-time
- Time with family
- Laughter
- Cuddles
- Time in the day
- Time with friends
- Nights out
- Good TV shows
- Love
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Water
- Emotional support
- Time off work
- Duvet days
- Work satisfaction
- Vitamin C
- Variety in our diet
- Respect
- Help from others
- Iron
- Chocolate
- New music
- Results from the gym
- Wine
- Cups of tea
- Cheese
- Social media followers
- Instagram likes
- Coffee
