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Londoners: you okay, hun?
It’s official, our capital ranks fifth globally in the ‘most-stressed cities’ league, another of those tables where you really don’t want to find yourself at the top of the charts.
In a recent study by optical specialists Lenstore, who have been keeping an eye on such things (sorry), London is right up there with world big-hitters in worrying about the cost of living, air quality, unemployment, property prices and working hours. At least we’re not lacking in access to green spaces, one of the 13 metrics of gauging stress and urban quality of life.
So who fares worse? Well, residents of top spot Bogotá in Colombia have to deal with very low wages (just £258.59 monthly) long hours (2,172 annually) high prices and a lot of pollution, plus it’s not even very sunny, with less than half the average hours of Mexico or Costa Rica. Runner-up Athens is sorely deprived of parks amid its dusty cement factories and has soaring unemployment, while Mexico City has the longest hours of anywhere (2,622 on average each year).
So in a bid to move ourselves further down the table and away from our more harassed city chums, we’ve taken a look at the other (better) end of the wellbeing scale and offer some tips from more relaxed metropolises.
Wellington, New Zealand
While the NZ city has access to great beaches and good salaries, which frankly we can do little about, (although you might want to check out these beach beauties close to London). There is an emphasis on community and sports in government policy, particularly encouraging young women into team sports.
Time Out prescribes: Get involved in sports, even as a spectator. There’s lots of free options for Londoners to enjoy, including the Women’s Euros fan zone in Trafalgar Square, that’s sport + community = sorted.
Helsinki, Finland
This city can’t claim many hours of sunshine, but they still seem to enjoy themselves. So what’s the secret? Good travel connections to other cities seems to be a theme, with ferries to Sweden, Germany and Estonia side-stepping airport chaos, a strong support and interest in grassroots-level art and the creative industries, and being able to head easily to the countryside if the city gets too much.
Time Out prescribes: Go and see some art this summer at one of London’s many open studios or independent galleries, where you can often meet up-and-coming artists and designers. It’s free, unless you fall in love with something and buy it, and then you might have to meet the person who actually made it.
If art isn’t your thing, remember that the Eurostar exists so you can hop to Brussels or Paris if the Big Smoke gets too much, or head to one of the woods on the outskirts of London.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Another Nordic city, and – putting the puffin-eating aside – it’s easy to see why this Icelandic city scores highly on the satisfaction score. It’s family-friendly, has great landscapes and a thriving spa culture. Go figure!
Time Out prescribes: Take advantage of the hundreds of family-friendly events that are taking place every week across the capital, many of them free. It’s not all museums and galleries, either, with plenty of festivals to keep the ankle-biters happy. If you are child-free, why not indulge in a sauna experience or a dip in a lido. Birch twigs optional.
Our conclusion
Well, we’re biassed, but London can be a significantly better place to live if you know what’s available in our city. Yep, it’s full of free and cheap things to do if you know where to look. It’s probably best that you sign up for our free newsletter, and watch your zen levels rise.
Chill out and read our brand new daily newsletter and you’ll be laughing in no time.
Or maybe take advantage of 32C sunshine this weekend in London’s mini-heatwave.