A new survey by Japan's health ministry has found that Japanese young people in the 20-to-39 age bracket are more overworked and unhappy than ever. The main reason for unhappiness was, unsurprisingly, work-related stress. Amid the grim situation the survey revealed, the only good news was happiness levels rose through life, becoming highest for those aged over 65.
The survey also sought to find what young people do after their stressed-out workweek. Apparently most young people spend their weekends doing nothing much at all. More than one-third said they spent days off "doing nothing or dozing." Older age groups were more active, with only 25 percent reporting doing nothing.
If younger workers feel they can only unwind through inactivity, they are highly mistaken. A good sleep-in or afternoon nap on the tatami can be marvelously restorative, but the human mind and body needs soothing, engaging activity to fully recover from stress.