Cost-of-living crisis set to be ‘main source of family arguments this Christmas’ | News in Newry

Over half (52%) of people are anticipating family arguments this Christmas with the majority (73%) blaming the cost-of-living crisis.

‘Turning the heating on’ is the top expected source of conflict (20%), followed by ‘how much to spend on gifts’ (18%) and ‘the expense of electricity used for Christmas lights’ (15%). 

In total, over a third (34%) of the 2033 UK adults surveyed on behalf of relationships charity, Relate said they expect the cost-of-living crisis to have a negative impact on their relationships with loved ones this winter.

This rose to almost half (47%) for Gen Z (16-24) and millennials (25-39). 

The research found people are expecting a range of different pressures on their relationships at Christmas.

Whilst ‘money worries’ is by far the biggest source of concern (28%), ‘mental health’ (15%), ‘pressure to create the perfect Christmas’ (12%) and ‘pressure to socialise’ (12%) also featured highly.

In response, Relate NI has launched the Relieve The Pressure Campaign – an online suite full of self-help articles, videos and other resources to support people during what’s likely to be a challenging time for many. 

Relate counsellor Holly Roberts says, “Money is often a concern around Christmas time, but this year it’s on our minds even more due to the cost-of-living crisis.

“When we’re worried about whether we’ll be able to pay the bills in January, we might get triggered and react angrily to somebody turning the heating on.

“For the person on the receiving end of this anger, their first response may be to act defensively, and before you know it, there’s a full-blown argument. 

“If somebody wants to turn the heating on or off and you don’t agree, try to understand what fear or unmet need is behind this.

“Acknowledge that you can see this is important to them and use “I” statements to express how you’re feeling without placing blame on the other person.

“Hopefully, from a place of greater understanding, you can reach some kind of compromise.” 

As well as being a potential source of conflict and relationship pressures, the cost-of-living crisis means families are less likely to be spending quality time together this festive season.

More than a quarter of respondents (28%) said they are avoiding hosting Christmas this year due to the cost-of-living crisis, almost a quarter (22%) won’t be spending Christmas with their family this year as it’s too expensive to travel, buy gifts, host etc., and a quarter (25%) have taken on extra work or additional shifts to pay for Christmas rather than spending time with their family. 

The cost of presents is also a concern with 36% of people feeling pressure to buy gifts for loved ones they can’t really afford this year, rising to 41% of Gen Z (16-24) and half (50%) of millennials (25-39).

On the plus side, over half of Brits (53%) agree that the cost-of-living crisis means they will put more thought into the gifts they give, with almost a quarter (24%) planning on buying second-hand gifts, over a fifth (22%) planning on gifting their time and 21% planning on making their gifts instead of buying them. 

Relate is encouraging people to take their Pre-loved pledge, which involves committing to shopping second-hand this Christmas. 

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Posted by NewryTimes News on Dec 21 2022. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry