Brits’ Top 50 ‘daily dramas’ – being stuck in traffic tops the list
The most stressful time of day is 7.23am – with the first drama typically happening by 8.18am, research has found.
A study of 2,000 Brits revealed the top 50 everyday stresses, with being stuck in traffic coming top and waking up late also featuring.
Individuals experience an average of three dramas a day, with women having their first around 7:50am, while men last until 8:43am.
Among the list were spilling something down clothing, burning food and tripping over in public.
Other annoyances guaranteed to make people huff and puff were being locked out of their home, the car engine not starting and realising an email they thought had sent was sitting in ‘drafts’.
The research was commissioned by RESCUE Remedy and found tiredness (46 per cent), an interrupted night’s sleep (36 per cent) and a busy day at work (33 per cent) were among the top causes for such dramas.
Brits experience a drama everyday
Zuzana Bustikova, for the wellbeing brand, said: “Often when we think ‘drama’ we think big, but the research shows how much of an impact seemingly small niggles can have on our daily moods.
“We know that a poor night’s sleep can offset the whole day, and challenging days can often result in sleepless nights, so it’s no wonder that mornings are when the first drama is experienced.”
The study also found while 35 per cent agreed little dramas are just part of life, a further 24 per cent find it difficult to relax when they’re experiencing such woes.
As many as four in 10 (41 per cent) have been kept awake at night – or woken up – due to everyday annoyances, including 50 per cent of women in comparison to 32 per cent of men.
Dramas also lead to people feeling frustrated (32 per cent), anxious (23 per cent) and tired (21 per cent).
Similarly, 24 per cent admitted that overthinking everyday issues impacts their sleep and 22 per cent find it emotionally draining.
Adults typically have five things on their mind at one time and 16 per cent believe they experience more dramas than others.
Reducing the drama
A quarter of those polled via OnePoll (24 per cent) admitted drama-inducing situations are typically caused by themselves, such as waking up late, while 15 per cent blame others.
If a drama is experienced with someone else involved it’s most likely to happen face to face (41 per cent), rather than over a phone call (23 per cent) or social media (22 per cent).
When in a bad mood, 32 per cent turn to their partner for support while 24 per cent of women confide in their female friends and 18 per cent of men look to male peers for advice.
But 41 per cent of those polled have felt unsupported by a loved one when experiencing a drama – 47 per cent of women and 36 per cent of men.
Vice versa, 42 per cent have supported others if they’re down by simply listening, while 32 per cent have been a shoulder to cry on and 19 per cent have ranted along with them.
The top things that have improved moods after experiencing a little drama are a walk (30 per cent), listening to music (28 per cent) and time alone (26 per cent).
Zuzana Bustikova added: “More than ever, it’s important to understand what our body and mind are telling us and, whilst it’s not always easy, setting good habits like eating well, establishing a – somewhat – relaxing bedtime routine and making time to look after ourselves is crucial.
“Taking small steps to build our emotional resilience, even on those difficult days, can make a huge difference in helping us live life to the fullest.”
Top 50 everyday ‘dramas’ Brits experience
- Stuck in traffic
- Spilling something down clothing e.g. food, drink, make-up, toothpaste etc
- Dropping and smashing something accidentally e.g. a glass, a bowl
- Waking up late
- Spilling something on the carpet
- Burning food
- A pan of boiling water bubbling over onto the hob
- Tripping over in public
- Struggling to find a parking space
- Being late for work
- Forgetting carrier bags at the supermarket
- Being pooed on by a bird
- Spilling something on the sofa
- Being locked out
- Car engine not starting
- Being late or missing public transport e.g. bus, train
- Public transport being cancelled
- Sending a text/message to the wrong person
- Deciding what to have for dinner
- Forgetting an umbrella in the rain
- Deciding what to wear
- Checking my bank balance and having less money than I expected
- Forgetting someone else’s birthday
- Mess caused by a child or pet
- Clothes you want to wear being in the wash
- Leaving your wallet/purse at home
- Forgetting the trolley coin at the supermarket
- Getting a parking ticket
- Having a backlog of emails
- A friend owing money and not paying it back
- Losing keys (car or house keys)
- Experiencing road rage
- Forgetting ingredients for a meal
- Ripping tights
- Leaving it too long to return an item to a shop e.g. for a refund
- Lightbulb going and not having any spears
- Realising an email you thought you’d sent is in your ‘drafts’
- Forgetting important life admin e.g. MOT, insurance renewal, meter readings etc
- Not knowing how to reply to a message e.g. text, dating app, social media
- Trying to organise social plans
- Spilling a drink on technology e.g. laptop, phone etc
- Accidentally ‘liking’ someone’s post on social media from years ago
- Being late due to having to de-ice the car
- Having lots of text/WhatsApp messages to reply to
- Playing something on your phone out loud in public e.g. a video, voice note etc
- Choking in public e.g. on a drink
- Getting a puncture while cycling
- Forgetting about a meeting and simply not turning up
- Late to pick my child up / drop them off e.g. at school, a party, activity club etc
- Hair dryer or straighteners breaking
