Middle-aged women ‘spend less than five hours a week on their own needs, self-care and hobbies’

Middle-aged women spend less than five hours a week on their own needs, self-care and hobbies, a survey suggests.

A new poll has revealed the ‘sandwich generation’ lifestyle is leaving the majority of women over 40 with little time for themselves.

Caring for children and ageing parents means women are locked in an ’emotional tug of war’ which leads to ‘burnout and exhaustion’.

Menopause campaigner Katie Taylor, who runs the Latte Lounge online community for middle-aged women, arranged the survey.

Of 1,309 middle-aged women who responded, 70 per cent said they spend less than five hours a week on their own needs, self-care and hobbies – the equivalent of less than an hour a day.

The same amount said they spend less than three hours a week socialising with their friends or with their partners.

Meanwhile only 11 per cent said they spend more than 10 hours a week on themselves.

Instead, women reported dedicating their time to the responsibilities of parenting, looking after ageing parents and work.

One woman said: ‘The emotional tug of war for scraps of me-time is overwhelming and you feel like you’re constantly failing someone you love.’

Another said: ‘It’s a pressure pot between work, an ageing and recently widowed parent, two children under five and everything else. Like many, my own needs just have to come last.’

Others described their generation as the one that ‘does it all’, while others said it was becoming harder to find time for rest, relaxation and joy while ‘having to deal with the challenges associated with menopause transition’.

The survey was released ahead of the Midlife Festival, an online week-long women’s health and wellbeing event which runs from October 9-13.

Mrs Taylor, who founded the festival, said: ‘Our data shows that women are putting themselves at the bottom of the household to-do list.

‘Once you add perimenopause and menopause into the mix, I know from personal experience that this can leave many of us feeling burnt out and struggling to cope with the many demands placed on us.

‘That’s why it’s critical for women in the ‘sandwich generation’ to spend more time looking after their own needs, so that they can not only be there for their loved ones, but also personally thrive through midlife, menopause and beyond.’