Christmas shopping takes its toll on stressed out Brits

New research out this month shows that finding the perfect Christmas gift for loved ones is really taking its toll on Brits.

According to one in five Brits, the pressure to find the right Christmas gift is more stressful than an appraisal at work (21%) or a job interview (18%). And one in ten people would rather move house (10%) or plan a wedding (7%) than face the hordes of shoppers competing for the perfect present without a plan of action in place.

With Christmas Eve almost upon us, millions of Brits will be cramming into shopping centres to get those last minute gifts – or indeed, to do all of the shopping in one hit!

Neil Shah, from the Stress Management Society, says: “Aim for a happy Christmas, not a perfect one. You want people to remember Christmas dinner for the great atmosphere not because you were so wound up that you blew a gasket over some minor problem.”

To lessen the pressure Brits are taking extreme steps to get the right presents this year. Two in five have forced kids to stay at home and shunned friends, instead going it alone to make their festive purchases (39%). One in five have limited their budget for each person they’re buying for (21%) while a similar number will break up their trips with regular breaks at cafes or restaurants.

The survey by Capital Shopping turned up some awful presents that were bought at the last minute. Responses ranged from a cheese board for someone who was lactose intolerant and flowers for a friend who was allergic to pollen.

For more information visit Capital-shopping-centres.co.uk.