The top everyday stressors most likely to leave Brits feeling hot under the collar include walking behind someone who is dawdling, stubbing your toe – and a nearby stranger talking loudly on speakerphone. Tidying the house only for the kids to get it messy again moments later, a broken dishwasher, and forgetting an umbrella when it pours down, also feature high on the list of daily burdens.
Others feel stressed thanks to traffic jams, home appliances such as your dishwasher or shower breaking, and hanging your washing out only to get caught out by rain.
The poll of 2,000 adults found they experience three of these moments each day, with 70 percent always feeling like they need a time out as a result.
But 26 percent get the chance to do this only a few times a week – leaving 61 percent wanting more opportunities to take a break from daily stresses.
Of those who do manage a mini-escape, 35 percent will go for a brisk walk, while 38 percent turn to a hot cuppa, and 20 percent will do a quick social media scroll.
The research was commissioned by Cadbury’s TimeOut to launch its “Time to Call TimeOut” campaign, which encourages people to take a moment when things get too much.
Commuters at London’s Victoria Station were greeted with a van offering an escape from their morning rush, with a chocolate bar and cup of tea to enjoy instead.
Diana Mamulian, brand manager, said: “The world is a bit crazy right now, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. There are plenty of frustrations that we just can’t control, so we think it’s time to focus on what we can.”
The study saw a fifth of adults cite Tuesday as the toughest day of the week and, to overcome the weekly stresses, 33 percent opt to listen to music.
Meanwhile, 28 percent choose to unwind by enjoying a cup of tea, or eating a sweet treat.
And when getting the chance to take a time out, 59 percent say they need to do this for up to 20 minutes before they feel the benefits, according to the OnePoll.com study.
But 61 percent would greatly benefit from having more opportunities to catch their breath once in a while.
Diana Mamulian added: “We hope the commuters lucky enough to spot our “Time to Call TimeOut” station manage to enjoy a bit of a breather from the daily grind.
“Hopefully we can help remind people it’s okay to take those emergency moments for themselves – we all need it.”
