Photo from UnsplashOriginally Posted On: https://artofprovacan.co.uk/press-release/
- 73% of Brits admit to heightened feelings of ‘unease’ during the pandemic
- Lack of understanding amongst friends and family adds to these feelings for almost two thirds of Brits (62%)
- Study by cannabis healthcare company CiiTECH finds 75% are looking to promote more calmness in their life
- Britain’s Got Talent artist Nathan Wyburn commissioned to create a masterpiece, visually illustrating The Journey to Calm to help ease the ‘explanation burden’ on Brits
- The artwork took 7 hours to complete and incorporates traditional and non-traditional materials including charcoal, paint, cassette tape, nails and bottle tops. The multiple colours and textures used represent the feelings of over 1,000 people
We’re in a panic-demic, as seven in 10 Brits (73%) have experienced heightened levels of unease over the past 18 months.
According to new findings by CiiTECH, the consumer-focused cannabis healthcare company behind leading UK CBD brand Provacan, 7 in ten (71%) of those questioned have experienced greater levels of stress and worry due to events over the past 18 months, rising to 8 in 10 18–24-year-olds (86%).
Two thirds (66%) are unable to describe these feelings, despite ‘how are you feeling?’ being one of the most frequently asked questions by friends and family (35%). This ‘explanation burden’ adds to the discomfort for 68% of Brits.
Two thirds (65%) feel like they are misunderstood by those around them, with a quarter (24%) ordered to “cheer up” and two fifths (40%) told that they “will be fine”.
Some of the physical symptoms Brits have encountered as a result of heightened levels of unease include sleep problems (51%), a churning feeling in the stomach (37%), feeling restless or unable to sit still (31%) and sweating/ hot flushes (25%).
Over two fifths (45%) of adults experiencing unease have felt unable to go about day-to-day life and half (51%) claim day-to-day tasks seem bigger than they really are. The research revealed the average Brit has experienced over 6 days of unease a month – equating to 108 days over the last 18 months.
Half (49%) of adults experiencing this worry said they found their partners hardest to talk to, followed by their friends (45%) and their parents (40%). Colleagues (37%) and employers (34%) trailed closely behind.
Hardly surprising, then, that a quarter (27%) of those who haven’t experienced greater levels of unease/ panic admit to finding it difficult to empathise with those that have, with 30% revealing they struggle to understand what they’re going through.
And with all this agitation, Brits are seeking more ‘calmness’ than ever before, with three quarters actively looking for ways to promote calm in their lives (75%). This includes regular exercise (55%), introducing new daily routines (39%) and trying new products that have calming properties (27%).
Clifton Flack, CEO of CiiTECH, comments: “The research shows that Brits have been experiencing lots of unease and greater levels of panic, amplified by the pandemic. But it’s very hard to understand if you have never experienced it. We want to try and make these feelings more visible and accessible to all, so those experiencing unrest feel they have a support network around them.”
CiiTECH has teamed up with Britain’s Got Talent artist, Nathan Wyburn, to bring to life these feelings, visually showcasing the transition from unease to calm through the medium of art, to help those who suffer share with friends and family.
The digital artwork entitled The Journey to Calm has been inspired by real life stories of those seeking more calm in their life. Everything from colours, shapes and textures has been crowd sourced after a quarter (27%) said their heightened levels of unease was best represented by the colour black and 28% used the word ‘knotted’ to further describe the feeling.
The artwork took 7 hours to complete and incorporates traditional and non-traditional materials including charcoal, paint, cassette tape, nails and bottle tops. The multiple colours and textures used were voted by over 1,000 people to represent and express their own feelings.
Artist Nathan Wyburn comments: “It’s been an honour to use my experience of suffering with personal anxiety to create this Journey To Calm. The series of images are a mixture of textures, feelings, colours and emotions to attempt a visualisation of what it feels like from one extreme to the other.
Sticking to my niche of using everyday materials such as bottle tops, cassette tape, nails, cotton and sun cream it’s also a nod to my previous work and style. Art helps me feel calm, it’s my release, so I hope this piece can bring clarity and help explain the journey to you – the viewer.”
The artwork is available to view at www.artofprovacan.co.uk
