Member Article

BUSY BRITS SPEND 22 DAYS A YEAR WORRYING ABOUT… HAVING NO TIME!

A new survey commissioned by the UK’s leading home-buying company, WeBuyAnyHome, has found that, on average, Brits spend over 22 days a year feeling worried or stressed about the amount of time they have to complete everyday tasks, due to their busy and demanding work lives.

After asking respondents what causes them to feel stressed or worried throughout the day, the majority of 18-64 year olds surveyed (79%) said they spend between 1hr 15 – 1hr 30 minutes a day (547.5 hours a year) feeling anxious about a ‘lack of time’ – which equates to 22.8 days a year!

When questioned on why ‘time’ is such a big concern, almost two thirds (71%) of respondents said that keeping up with demanding work schedules and trying to meet impending deadlines causes a continual stream of worries. Just under half of those polled (43%) said that commuting home after work can also be stressful, and a further quarter (26%) said that being on time for meetings, appointments, and transport departures can often be demanding.

Delving deeper into the nation’s anxieties surrounding time, or lack of it, the survey also found that time-poor Brits are willing to cut corners to save time and survive the stresses of busy modern-day life.

When asked to reveal their favourite time-saving hacks, over two thirds (71%) of survey respondents voted for fast-food delivery apps - making these the nation’s number one time-saving tools. In today’s fast-paced society, where people have limited time to cook at home, it’s unsurprising that the number of people using apps that deliver to the door when they are feeling peckish has increased.

Interestingly, using dry shampoo was the second most popular time-saving hack as voted by over half of respondents (58%), suggesting that bunches of Brits are swapping their twenty-minute morning wash and blow dry for this two-second hair spray, to save on time. Just under half of respondents (44%) revealed that they enjoy the speed that comes with paying for items or services using their contactless bank card, making this the nation’s third favourite hack to help save on time.

Perhaps worryingly, some Brits confessed that ‘not washing their hands after going to the loo’ (39%), and ‘gargling mouthwash instead of brushing their teeth’ (28%), are regular time-saving hacks that they use. Suggesting that when it comes to cleanliness, Brits aren’t afraid to ‘get their hands dirty’ to save some precious time.

THE UK’S TOP TEN LIST OF TIME SAVING HACKS:

1. FAST FOOD APPS (71%)
2. DRY SHAMPOO (58%)
3. CONTACTLESS PAYMENT CARDS (44%)
4. NOT WASHING HANDS AFTER GOING TO THE LOO (39%)
5. GARGLING INSTEAD OF BRUSHING TEETH (28%)
6. SPRAYING CLOTHES WITH PERFUME INSTEAD OF WASHING THEM (19%)
7. ONLINE DOCTOR CONSULTATIONS (15%)
8. USING SIRI TO SEND TEXTS (15%)
9. PRE-MAKING FOOD FOR THE WEEK (11%)
10. STRAIGHTENING CLOTHES INSTEAD OF IRONING THEM (8%)

According to WeBuyAnyHome’s research, the majority of Britons rely heavily on these hacks, not only to make more time for themselves, but also to simplify their lives. The survey revealed that over half (57%) of respondents use time-saving hacks to reduce the amount of stress that they feel, and over a third (39%) need them to simplify their busy and demanding lifestyles. A quarter (26%) also stated that, by helping to cut down time, these tricks allow them to have more personal time for hobbies or seeing friends and family.

Elliot Castle, property expert and founder of home-buying company, WeBuyAnyHome (www.webuyanyhome.com), comments on the survey findings:

“In today’s busy and demanding society, it’s no surprise that lack of time is such a big anxiety for Britons. Time-saving products and services are becoming more and more necessary in order for people to get through their working day efficiently, and also to free up some much-needed personal time.

At WeBuyAnyHome we can help people who are selling their property to save time, by providing them with an initial offer within 24 hours of contact and enabling completion on a house sale in as little as seven days, so you can start looking to make your next move without the stress that usually comes with selling a home.“

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Scott Barrett .