Attitudes Towards Health -
Stress - UK - January 2010
What Makes People Feel
Better When Worried?
Key points
●
Escapism,
indulgence and giving into weaknesses such as alcohol and cigarettes are the
main things that make people feel better when stressed or tense.
●
Men tend
to physically distance themselves from stress by going on holiday or
undertaking exercise but women will indulge themselves with pampering, massage
and comfort foods.
●
The most
stressed-out crowd (35-44-year-olds) are the most likely to buy into four or
more products or services when stressed out, although for many, just one thing
(eg going on holiday) offers the escape that they need.
Taking
a break from the stress
People were shown a list and asked
the following question:
“Which
of the following, if any, make you feel better when you are feeling tense or
worried?”
FIGURE 21:
Products and services used to reduce tension or worries, by experience of
stress, November 2009
|
|
All
|
Have
tensions or worries
|
|
|
Base: adults aged 18+
|
973
|
809
|
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
(m)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Going on holiday
|
39
|
42
|
19.0
|
|
Something that offers a brief escape (eg
salon/spa, golf course, cinema)
|
24
|
28
|
11.7
|
|
Alcohol
|
21
|
23
|
10.2
|
|
Indulgent snacks and treats (eg chocolate)
|
20
|
23
|
9.8
|
|
Home pampering products (eg bubble bath)
|
18
|
19
|
8.8
|
|
Massage
|
16
|
18
|
7.8
|
|
Healthy foods
|
13
|
14
|
6.3
|
|
Cigarettes, tobacco
|
13
|
14
|
6.3
|
|
Aromatherapy products (eg scented oils,
massage oils, oil burners)
|
7
|
7
|
3.4
|
|
Complementary medicines or supplements (eg St
John's Wort, herbal sleeping/anti-stress tablets eg Kalms)
|
4
|
4
|
2.0
|
|
Other
|
13
|
14
|
6.3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Don't know
|
1
|
1
|
0.5
|
|
None of these
|
12
|
7
|
5.9
|
SOURCE:
BMRB/Mintel
“The
key to dealing with stress is to relax. The difficulty is often getting to that
point.”
-25-34-year-old
ABC1 male
●
Going on holiday is by far and away the
most popular way to escape worries and tensions, as more often than not it
offers a break from stress at work, the daily commute as well as the home
environment and in some ways, fretting about appearance.
●
Without having to impress people with
professionalism and the fact that there is usually someone on the beach who
looks worse help people to relax and be themselves when on a break. The very
act of travelling away from the home and work can also offer instant mental
relaxation.
●
However, although four in ten adults say
that going on holiday makes them feel better when they feel tense or worried,
that does not mean that people actually go on holiday. Just one in five adults
who have tensions or worries plan or book a holiday when tense (see
Distractions From Worries section), suggesting that not all of the four in ten
adults who say going on holiday offers relief will actually be in a position to
take a holiday.
●
Holidays hold the most appeal to
35-44-year-olds who are most vulnerable to stress at work (see Causes of
Tension or Worry section). For this demographic, going on holiday offers
instant and direct relief from a major source of tension.
●
Almost half of workers (both full-time and
part-time) say that going on holiday reduces tension or worries. This compares
to a third of adults who are not working (see Appendix – What Makes People Feel
Better When Worried?).
Women
eat, but men drink
FIGURE 22: Products and
services used to reduce tension or worries, by gender, November 2009
Base: 809 adults
aged 18+ who have tensions or worries
SOURCE:
BMRB/Mintel
●
Perhaps because women demonstrate a much
greater tendency than men to worry about others (see Causes of Tension or Worry
section), they are more likely to find relief from tension and worries by doing
something for themselves. As a result, women are considerably more likely than
men to buy into home pampering products and indulgent snacks and massages.
●
When men deal with stress or tension, they
demonstrate a leaning towards going on holiday, finding something that offers a
brief escape or drinking alcohol. Almost three in ten men turn to alcohol
compared to fewer than one in five women.
●
Around 15% of men find other ways to
alleviate any tension they are feeling. This might include gambling, playing
cards or doing exercise/playing sports (see Appendix – Distractions From
Worries section).
●
Aside from smoking and drinking, men are
slightly more likely than women to eat more healthily but significantly less
likely to use complementary medicines or supplements to help their feelings of
tension or anxiety.
●
Comfort eating when stressed tends not to
be a male trait. Just 9% of men turn to comfort foods compared to 20% of women . This explains why women are
more drawn to indulgent snacks and treats when in need of a pick-me-up.
Number
of products/services bought or used to alleviate stress
●
Although adults tend to choose from several
distractions from worries and tensions, in the main, adults will buy or use
just one or two products or services when they are stressed out.
●
The most stressed-out crowd
(35-44-year-olds) are the most likely to buy into four or more products or
services although just over a quarter can be pacified with just one.
●
The affordability of indulgence is a factor
that comes into play with lower social grades showing a tendency to only select
one product or service. Although the majority of ABs also only choose one
product or service, they are the most likely social grade to buy into four or
more.
●
There is some evidence that part-time
workers may be feeling the stress of splitting their time as they are the most
likely buy four or more products or services in response to stress. Almost four
in ten full-time workers believe that one thing will relieve their stress –
usually going on holiday.
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