According to a recent survey commissioned by Microsoft Corporations MSN Games, one of the world’s leading casual gaming sites, Americans are feeling more stressed out and starved for time than ever, with 56 percent of men (age 18 to 34) and 71 percent of women (age 18 to 34) spending less than an hour on themselves a day engaged in activities that provide downtime or alone time and are pampering or relaxing to them.Once considered a simple leisure pursuit, playing casual games including action and arcade, puzzle, word and trivia, and card and board games is among the activities men and women said they like to engage in when they have just 20 minutes to recharge during the day.

Although stress reduction and mental dexterity are often cited as reasons people of all ages play casual online games, males in the 18 to 34 age bracket are most likely to list playing games as a daily escape a chance to indulge in some me time. Men are also more likely than their female counterparts to play a game at work, with males age 18 to34 most likely to sneak in a quick game during their day.

With many people indicating they have a mere 60 minutes a day to spend on relaxing activities, it is no wonder U.S. men and women are seeking easy, quick stress-reduction techniques. As a result, MSN Games has teamed up with Dr. Kathleen Hall, world-renowned expert in stress and work-life balance and founder of the Stress Institute, to urge Americans to resolve to Take Back Your Time this year and engage in activities that help reduce stress and give the brain a boost.