One in two people from Glasgow feeling 'extra stressed' over the cost of Christmas this year

While Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, it can also bring pressure and stress. People wait all year long for one day so naturally there is an element of wanting it to be ‘perfect’. And thanks to social media, the comparison demon is ever present during the festive season.

But what really makes Brits tick during the Christmas season? To uncover the most stressful part of Christmas, https://www.haypp.com/uk/ surveyed the nation asking UK adults which traditions cause their blood pressure to rise and which family favourites they simply can’t bear partaking in.

The number one most stressful part of Christmas is of course the cost. Four in ten cited this to be extremely stressful for them.

Surprisingly, it didn’t matter how much people earned, those with household incomes from £10,000 up to £70,000 and more, felt equally stressed over the cost of Christmas. While income didn’t seem to change the results, location did.

Those in Glasgow are one of the most stressed over the cost of Christmas with 50% admitting they feel very worried about how they will afford Christmas this year.

Nationally, the most stressed-out cities when it comes to the cost of Christmas are:

Liverpool (53%)

Glasgow (50%)

Sheffield (49%)

Cardiff (45%)

Bristol (44%)

Beyond the cost, UK adults also felt increased levels of stress when it came to socialising, 36% of us dread the annual Christmas meet ups, with a further 16% revealing they hope to avoid certain family members this year.

A huge part of socialising and Christmas festivities is of course eating and drinking, which also troubled Brits. Around a third of us, 32%, are scared to gain weight over the festive season.

Even some of the ‘fun’ traditions of Christmas still caused significant stress for Brits. The naughty ‘elf on the shelf’ has been a hugely popular new tradition for families but it seems one in ten actually find the 24 day routine to be very stressful, with Brits wishing the elf never visited their house! Similarly 10% of parents are concerned that their child will find out Santa isn’t real this year.

Susan Leigh, Counsellor and Hypnotherapist, from www.lifestyletherapy.net, shares her top tip for reducing stress over Christmas: “Be okay about saying 'no'. Done respectfully, saying no can be one of the most positive words in your vocabulary. 'I'll have to come back to that later, I'm a little busy right now, could you ask someone else to deal with that'. All are ways of saying 'no' without causing offence.

"This reduces the demands on your time and allows you to enjoy what you're doing in a more relaxed, less stressful way. It gives you a little 'me' time or even 'us' time, when you and perhaps your partner can unwind and do things for yourselves, and not have to always be there for others.”

Markus Lindblad, from haypp added: “We conducted this survey to uncover what truly causes stress for people over the festive season. Unfortunately, increased levels of stress can lead to unhealthy habits as people seek comfort, this can be some chocolate, a glass of wine or even a cigarette.

"If you’re feeling severely stressed this Christmas, it’s important to not let bad habits take over. Either reduce the stress from your life or opt for healthier alternatives wherever you can.”