How do Bulgarians spend their time?

published on 5/12/11 12:07 PM

Photo: BGNES

The average Bulgarian simply works and sleeps, a poll of the National Statistical Institute /NSI/, held in the period October 2009 - October 2010 showed. Main leisure time activities include sitting in front of the computer, taking care of the body and the clothes, as well as for the family members and also preparing of food. There are very few moments left for walks, reading or other kinds of entertainment.

As far as the working process is concerned, nowadays we work half an hour less than we did 10 years ago. However, we still spend more hours in working, compared to the Germans for instance, poll results show. French, Belgian and Swedish people work as much as we do. The Estonians and the Latvians work longer hours.

However, the Bulgarians spend over 12 hours in sleeping and taking care of other personal needs, as we sleep over 9 hours. This puts us among those nations that spend more time in bed. Village people sleep a few minutes more than the citizens. The average Bulgarian spends over 2 hours per day, eating at the table. Both men and women spend approximately 40 minutes in shopping. Children are taken care of for 2 ½ hours per day.

Actually the true leisure time of the Bulgarians lasts 4 hours and 25 minutes. Unfortunately they spend most of this time in front of the TV and the PC. By the way, the hours spend in front of the computer are usually related to working too. We spend less time enjoying life, statistics says. Sports, reading and walking are activities that are at the bottom of the list. The Bulgarians prefer to work in the garden, grow vegetables and breed animals. Stressful lifestyle and the planned hours of the day make more and more Bulgarians turn to nature, even if it is only their own garden. These are mainly intelligent people that live in the cities. Some of them say that many Bulgarians spend even their leisure time in a dull manner and don’t see the beauty of life. Maria Nesheva is a financial consultant. She says leisure time is a question of organization, so she has more time for reading, theatre and walks. The basic thing, according to her is beauty, the search for the bright side of life, the thankfulness that you see a smile or a blossomed tree. Mrs. Nesheva adds that stress is due to our will to control life, instead of letting it happen. Then perhaps we will start dealing with more interesting and beautiful things in our leisure time:

“Our life is given to us for joy. When we frown, we will make other people frown too, but if we smile, we will make others smile too and bring more joy to this world.”

So, the trend is clear – we have to work less, but be more effective and then we will have more leisure time.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev

По публикацията работи: Milka Ivanova

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