Why Half of UK Men Struggle to Switch Off From Stress

Switching off at the end of the day is not always as simple as closing the laptop or turning on the television.

A new survey commissioned by Nurosym has revealed that half of UK men experience stress every day or several times a week, with almost as many regularly struggling to switch off mentally.

The survey of 1,000 UK men found that 51% feel stressed every day or several times a week, while 48.3% find it difficult to mentally leave the day behind this frequently.

Stress is also affecting sleep, with more than three-quarters of men saying it has negatively affected their sleep either frequently or occasionally.

Half of men regularly struggle to switch off

Across the 1,000 men surveyed:

• 51% feel stressed every day or several times a week

• 48.3% struggle to switch off mentally every day or several times a week

• 77.5% say stress has negatively affected their sleep, either frequently or occasionally

These findings suggest that stress is not limited to particularly difficult days or occasional periods of pressure.

For many men, it is a regular part of life that continues into the evening and makes it harder for the body and mind to recover.

How men try to unwind

The survey also explored what men do when they feel stressed.

The most common ways men said they unwind were:

• Listening to music: 69.1%

• Watching television or streaming services: 50.6%

• Exercise: 48.8%

• Playing video games: 41.2%

• Spending time with family or friends: 37.5%

• Spending time outdoors: 36.4%

• Watching sport: 33.2%

• Scrolling social media: 27.8%

• Having an alcoholic drink: 26.7%

• Getting extra sleep: 21%

• Meditation or mindfulness: 15.8%

Listening to music was by far the most popular way to unwind, while men were more likely to play video games than spend time with family or friends.

More than one in four said they have an alcoholic drink to cope with stress, compared with 15.8% who use meditation or mindfulness.

What actually makes men feel relaxed?

The activities men use most frequently are not necessarily the ones they find most relaxing.

When asked to choose the one activity that makes them feel most relaxed, men selected:

• Listening to music: 27.3%

• Sleeping or resting: 15.6%

• Exercise: 14.7%

• Spending time outdoors: 11.6%

• Spending time with loved ones: 11.4%

• Watching television or streaming services: 8.8%

• Watching sport: 7.2%

• Having an alcoholic drink: 3.9%

Although more than one in four men use alcohol to unwind, fewer than one in 25 selected it as the activity that makes them feel most relaxed.

This suggests that some habits may offer an immediate distraction from stress without necessarily providing the greatest sense of recovery.

Distraction and genuine recovery are not always the same

Many of the activities people use to unwind can provide a valuable mental break. However, taking your attention away from a stressful situation is not always the same as helping the nervous system return to a calmer state.

Watching television, gaming, scrolling social media or having a drink may temporarily distract the mind, but the body can remain alert or tense.

Dr Elisabetta Burchi, Head of Research at Nurosym, explains:

“Many of the things people use to unwind provide distraction, but distraction and genuine recovery are not always the same thing.

“Watching television, gaming or having a drink may temporarily take your mind away from whatever is causing stress, but that does not necessarily mean the nervous system has moved out of an activated state.

“If almost half of men are regularly struggling to switch off, we need to look not only at how much stress they are experiencing, but whether the ways they are coping are actually helping their body recover.”

Alcohol may feel relaxing without supporting recovery

More than one in four men surveyed said they use alcohol to unwind when feeling stressed.

Alcohol can create an initial feeling of relaxation, but this is not the same as helping the nervous system recover. It can interfere with sleep quality and leave people feeling more tired and less resilient the following day.

Using alcohol occasionally does not necessarily indicate a problem. However, regularly relying on it as the main way to cope with stress may be worth paying attention to.

The survey also found clear differences between age groups.

Men aged 35 to 44 were the most likely to use alcohol to unwind, at 33%. This was almost three times the proportion of men aged 18 to 24 who said the same, at 12%.

Stress is highest among men aged 35 to 44

Regular stress was most common among men aged 35 to 44, with 58% saying they feel stressed every day or several times a week.

This was followed closely by men aged 25 to 34 at 57% and those aged 18 to 24 at 56%.

Regular stress levels then fell among the older age groups:

• Aged 35 to 44: 58%

• Aged 25 to 34: 57%

• Aged 18 to 24: 56%

• Aged 45 to 54: 49%

• Aged 55 to 64: 36%

The ways men cope with stress also changed with age.

Gaming was most common among men aged 25 to 34, with 61% using it to unwind, while 39% turn to social media.

Men aged 55 to 64 were more likely to spend time outdoors, with 44% selecting this as one of the ways they unwind.

Where in the UK are men most stressed?

The survey also revealed regional differences in stress and recovery.

The North East recorded the highest level of regular stress, with 63% of men saying they feel stressed every day or several times a week.

Scotland followed at 60% and recorded the highest level of frequent stress-related sleep disruption.

Almost half of Scottish men, at 45%, said stress frequently affects their sleep, compared with 29% nationally.

Scottish men were also particularly likely to struggle to leave the day’s stresses behind:

• 60% feel stressed every day or several times a week

• 58% regularly struggle to switch off mentally

• 45% say stress frequently affects their sleep

• 37% use alcohol to unwind

The proportion using alcohol to unwind was 10 percentage points above the UK average of 27%.

Why does stress make it difficult to switch off?

The body’s stress response does not necessarily end when a stressful situation is over.

When the nervous system remains in a heightened state of alertness, people may continue replaying events, worrying about what comes next or feeling physically tense long after the immediate pressure has passed.

This is often linked to the sympathetic nervous system, which supports the body’s “fight or flight” response.

The parasympathetic nervous system helps the body return to a calmer “rest and recover” state. The vagus nerve is a key part of this system and plays an important role in supporting relaxation, digestion, recovery and emotional regulation.

When the body struggles to make this transition, it can leave people feeling tired but wired, mentally preoccupied or unable to settle at bedtime.

Over time, this can begin to affect sleep and the body’s ability to recover overnight.

How to tell whether an activity is helping you recover

Distraction can be useful because it gives the mind a break. However, it can help to pay attention to how you feel afterwards.

An activity may not be providing the recovery you need if it leaves you:

• More alert or stimulated

• Emotionally activated

• Physically tense

• Caught in repetitive thoughts

• Unable to stop or move on to another activity

• Struggling to settle when it is time to sleep

Genuine relaxation should help the body move towards a calmer state.

Breathing may slow, physical tension may begin to ease and the mind may feel less occupied by the events or demands of the day.

How to support recovery from stress

A wind-down routine does not need to be complicated.

Simple ways to create a clearer transition between the demands of the day and the opportunity to rest include:

• Taking a short walk

• Listening to calming music

• Spending time outdoors

• Using gentle movement or stretching to release tension

• Practising a few minutes of slow breathing

• Spending time with friends, family or loved ones

• Reducing stimulation before bed

• Creating a consistent gap between work and rest

• Avoiding relying on alcohol as the main way to cope with stress

The most helpful routine will differ from person to person. What matters is whether it helps the mind feel less occupied and allows the body to move towards a calmer state.

When to seek support for stress

Stress is a normal response to demanding situations. However, feeling unable to switch off every day is different from experiencing an occasional difficult week.

If stress is persistently affecting your sleep, mood, relationships or ability to function, adding more distractions to your evening may not address the underlying problem.

Persistent stress or sleep disruption should not simply be accepted as part of everyday life. If it continues or becomes difficult to manage, speak to a medical professional.

Supporting the nervous system’s natural relaxation response

As awareness of nervous system health grows, so does interest in the role of the vagus nerve in helping the body recover from stress.

Nurosym is a non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation device designed to support the body’s natural relaxation response through stimulation of the vagus nerve.

Across more than 60 published clinical studies, researchers have reported improvements including up to a 35% reduction in anxiety, a 48% reduction in fatigue and a 31% improvement in sleep quality, depending on the study population and design.

Switching off is about more than distraction

The research shows that regular stress and difficulty switching off are common among UK men.

While activities such as watching television, gaming or having a drink may provide a temporary distraction, they do not necessarily help the nervous system move into a calmer state.

Music, exercise, time outdoors, meaningful social connection and a consistent wind-down routine may provide a clearer transition into rest and recovery.

Understanding the difference between feeling distracted and feeling genuinely relaxed can help people make more informed choices about how they unwind, support their sleep and recover from the demands of the day.

Methodology

Nurosym surveyed 1,000 UK men in June 2026 about stress, sleep and wellbeing. Questions covered the frequency of stress, difficulty switching off mentally, sleep disruption, relaxation habits, the activities men find most relaxing, alcohol use and differences by age and region.

 

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