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60% of Brits apparently think Valentine’s Day is the ‘most stressful’ day of the year

They've got a point, tbh.

Emily Sergeant - 13th February 2024

A new study has revealed that 60% of Brits consider Valentine’s Day to be the “most stressful” day of the whole year.

And to be honest, who can really blame them?

In case you need a little reminder, the most romantic day of them all – also known as Valentine’s Day – is happening tomorrow (14 February), and if the findings of some new research by popular chewing gum, Extra, is anything to go by, then that spells stress for more than half of the British population.

Many lucky – or unlucky – lovers have a story to tell about a time the big V Day has crept up on them, and so they have resorted to spending either the day before or the day itself running around as quick as they can trying to grab gifts and make last-minute plans in a bid to pass it off like they haven’t forgotten all about it.

Situations like this are probably why more than half (60%) of us consider Valentine’s Day to be such as stressful day, and even when we do remember, it can still be a pretty nerve-wracking experience.

60% of Brits apparently think Valentine’s Day is the ‘most stressful’ day of the year / Credit: Pixahive | Pexels

Valentine’s Day is among the top 10 times of year when people experience so-called ‘microstresses’, according to Extra’s research results – with one in eight (13%) feeling even more stressed around the day than at Christmas.

A quarter (24%) of survey respondents said they found that the pressure to have plans or a date on Valentine’s Day was the cause of their microstresses, whilst almost a fifth (17%) put it down to struggling to know what to buy their partner to celebrate.

When it comes to here in Manchester in particular, the survey revealed that almost one in five (18%) Mancunians think knowing what gift to buy to buy for their partner on Valentine’s Day is a ‘microstress’, while Mancs also feel leaving it too late to get a good restaurant reservation is more of a microstress than the average Brit (14% vs 10%).

Almost one in five (18%) Mancs think buying a Valentine’s gift for their partner is stressful / Credit: Visit Manchester

‘Microstresses’ may feel harmless in the moment – but, just as a recent study in the Harvard Business Review has found, they can slowly build up over time and create more long-term issues for an individuals’ wellbeing.

Apparently, the study found that one of the best ways to combat such microstresses is by taking time to “invest in close relationships” and take part in activities that “help to keep stresses at bay”.

So, what’s your thoughts on all this then? Is Valentine’s Day a cause of stress for you? Or do you see it as a walk in the park?

Featured Image – Andres Ayrton (via Pexels)