Confused and worn down by all the days and weeks devoted to illnesses, conditions, inequalities and injustices? You might be relieved to hear that today is National Slacker Day.

The second annual event is aimed at encouraging people to stay in bed and do absolutely nothing – all in the name of good health. As organisers Oncus explain, the UK currently endures the longest working hours in Europe and one of the shortest average life expectancies.

Everyday, otherwise creative and intelligent people are driven to hair loss and road rage due to an unhealthy ‘work comes first’ stress driven culture. Slacker Day intends to remind people that life does not revolve around the office and that a day spent in bed or in front of the telly can make a remarkable improvement to your health and happiness.

As comedian Simon Pegg explained: “It is vital to understand the importance of doing nothing. Slacking is a necessity; it is Yin to activity’s Yang.”

Even academics are getting in on the act. “Slacking isn’t just about doing nothing but an ethos of re-framing things so you can enjoy what you do,” said Dr Jason Rutter, a research fellow of the ESRC Centre for Research on Innovation and Competition at Manchester University.