Leisure time and time off work are no longer the same thing.

The understanding of leisure time has fundamentally changed. Both quantitatively and qualitatively, leisure time today differs from earlier forms of leisure. While relaxation from work still takes place during leisure time, it is not solely about rest. For the vast majority of Germans, leisure time has acquired an independent value. For example, 70% of Germans believe that leisure time is primarily the time in which one can do whatever one enjoys. This is the finding of a representative survey conducted by the BAT Leisure Research Institute, in which 2,000 people aged 14 and over were asked about their personal understanding of leisure time.

From the concept of leisure in the 1950s, which defined leisure simply as absence from work, a positive understanding of leisure has developed: leisure is a time in which one is free "for" something. Even working Germans, when asked about their own definition of leisure, think less about recovery from work stress (46 %) and more about their own enjoyment (72 %). This is particularly true for young people aged 14 to 29 (78 %).

Men with a selfish understanding of leisure time?

There are striking differences in how men and women understand leisure time. Men primarily think of themselves when it comes to leisure: they feel "free and independent" (44 %) – women significantly less so (34 %). And twice as many men (34 %) as women (17 %) see leisure time as a time to recover from work stress. Conversely, significantly more women (37 %) than men (14 %) perceive leisure time as a time free from household chores and necessary errands.

Women are clearly disadvantaged in their personal leisure opportunities. They perceive leisure time less as a space they can shape themselves (36 %, men: 46 %). Gender and role-specific differences noticeably influence their attitude towards leisure. The double and multiple burdens many women face in work, household, and family also explain their somewhat stronger need for rest and relaxation in their free time (43 %, men: 39 %).

Leisure time needs to be re-evaluated by society.

Thirty years of reduced working hours, during which the duration of vacation alone tripled from 10 to 30 days, have not left the German people and their attitude towards the work-free part of life unaffected.

For Prof. Dr. Horst W. Opaschowski, the scientific director of the BAT Institute, a societal re-evaluation of leisure time is therefore necessary. Leisure time must be redefined, because today it is more than just a break from work to recharge for the next workday. "People no longer just want to know what they live on, but also what they live for.".