Are you getting 3 hours of daily ‘me time’?

Self-aware adults now ensure they get focused ‘me-time’ of up to three hours every day, with a third developing new self-care habits ruing lockdown, including exercising more, eating better and taking more care of their skin.

A poll of 2,000 people found six in 10 are increasingly aware of the need to get time to themselves – but 50 per cent said they are still not getting as much me-time as they’d like.

The study was commissioned by Perrigo, which manufactures Niquitin, Nytol, XLS-Medical and Dermalex, to mark International Self-Care Day on Friday (today, July 24).

It also found self-care is now a priority for seven in 10 adults in their daily routines.

Laure de Brauer, spokesperson for Perrigo UK & Ireland said: “The past few months have been a challenging time for all of us in so many ways.

“But the promising outcome from the experience is that we have learned to better listen to our bodies and minds to take better care of ourselves.

“The UK has seen the positive impact of having to switch from ‘healthcare’ to ‘self-care’ over the past few months which has, in turn, highlighted the important role of self-care and community pharmacy on our vital health system.

“It’s encouraging to see that, as a nation, we have recognised the benefits of forming healthier habits and that we’re keen to keep this going.”

But the research also found that despite the surge in self-care among those polled, there are still a number of barriers preventing them from prioritising me-time as much as they would like.

These include having too many commitments (43 per cent), being a parent (39 per cent) and having trouble switching off (37 per cent).

Long working hours (35 per cent) is also a factor, as is feeling guilty about having ‘me time’ (30 per cent).

The study also revealed some of the specific ways those polled have taken to improve their wellbeing.

Prior to the lockdown, 21 per cent of adults smoked, but since the restrictions were brought in, 19 per cent have managed to kick the habit, while a third have cut down.

And a quarter of adults who exercised prior to the restrictions have been exercising even more in recent months and 12 per cent of those who didn’t exercise before lockdown now do.

But there are aspects of their lifestyles which have proved to be especially challenging during the past few months.

Six in 10 of those polled via OnePoll said they’re struggling to sleep and a fifth have difficulty nodding off ‘most nights’ amid worries about the pandemic (31 per cent) and the health of loved ones (29 per cent).

More than half of those with skin conditions such as dry or sensitive skin, psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, and acne have endured more flare-ups than usual recently.

Like those who have been having trouble sleeping, 47 per cent think anxieties relating to the pandemic are to blame.