South East England adults get less than 15 days of 'me time' a year
More than 43% of Brits living in South East England get less than 15 days of ‘me time’ a year, according to new research.
A new study of working adults by UK bus operator Stagecoach found that whilst the average time Brits get is 62 minutes per day, a large proportion of Brits living in South East England get less than 60 minutes, accounting for 15 days of ‘me time’ a year.
It’s vital for those in full time work to secure enough time for themselves, and without their ‘me time’, 21.56% say they get slightly irritable or uneasy at work, whilst 20.82% say they become very stressed and overwhelmed.
According to the research, more than 21% of South East workers say their commute is vitally important when it comes to getting in their ‘me time’ and with the average commute now lasting an hour a day, utilising it could actually double Brits’ ‘me time’ in a year.
Given these findings, Stagecoach is calling for working Brits to boost their ‘me time’ by using the bus for their commutes – giving them time and headspace back.
Debra Goodwin, Chief Commercial Officer at Stagecoach, said: “In today’s non-stop world, taking time out to think, relax or even breathe is now more important than ever. One week of ‘me time’ a year simply isn’t enough.
“According to our research, working Brits can double their ‘me time’, simply by using the bus on their commute. So let someone else do the driving, press pause on your day and scroll, read, listen, or just stare out of the window for a bit on your ‘me time’ machine.”
In a world where mental wellness and burnout are becoming hot topics, the importance of ‘me time’ is arguably more important than ever. When asked how they would use more me time if they had it, over 39.94% of South East Brits said they would choose to rest or sleep.
Stagecoach’s own usage data shows more people could already be searching to increase their ‘me time’ moments. Journey volumes have continued to rise this year, with a marked uplift in recent months. In fact, March 2025 saw the highest usage of the year so far, reinforcing the idea that more people are turning to public transport not just out of necessity, but as a deliberate choice for convenience, calm, and a rare moment of disconnect.
With more time on the bus, Brits said they would use the time to themselves to do the following activities:
Top Ten Bus Activities in South East
- Listening to music or podcasts (32.34%)
- Scrolling on social media (37.17%)
- Just chilling / doing nothing (30.86%)
- People watching (29.74%)
- Playing mobile games (21.19%)
- Catching up on messages or DMs (21.19%)
- Catching up on emails (23.05%)
- Watching Netflix or YouTube (18.22%)
- Daydreaming or deep thinking (20.82%)
- Online shopping or browsing (19.70%)