When there is no doubt Christmas it is a time of celebration and happiness, it can also be a major source of stress.
Now, new research shows grocery shopping – an inevitable chore for any holiday family – is just as difficult as taking an exam or applying for a job.
Scientists at Ocado was joined by Charles Spence, a professor of psychology at University of Oxfordsurveying customers during the Christmas shopping season.
They equipped 20 volunteers with electronic monitors to detect an increase in heart rate – a high level of stress – as they pushed their trolley.
Heart rate increased by 44 percent on average, to 115 beats per minute (bpm) while eating, they found.
This is the same level of stress as taking an exam (up to 115 beats per minute) or having an interview (up to 115 bpm).
It is also as stressful as watching a scary movie (110 bpm).
‘Heart rate increases when we experience stress, as adrenaline pumps through the body – and there’s nothing like the chaos of Christmas shopping to get it going,’ said Professor Spence.
New research shows grocery shopping – an unavoidable chore for any holiday family – is as difficult as taking an exam or applying for a job (file photo)
Heart rate increased by 44 percent on average, to 115 beats per minute (bpm) while shopping.
In contrast, online shoppers’ heart rate peaked at 82bpm, which was 29 percent lower than in-store.
This is slightly lower than doing yoga (80bpm) and petting a cat (77bpm).
‘Our experiments showed that holiday shopping can increase heart rate and depression,’ added Professor Spence.
According to Ocado, their research shows that online shopping is the ‘slowest trend’ for Christmas, which they hope will drive more traffic to their site.
However, Some studies have shown that brick and mortar shopping has its advantages over online shopping.
A 2014 Education Shopping in person can reduce stress and improve self-control, which is important to avoid impulsive shopping decisions.
And as the Covid pandemic has shown, spending more time away from screens rather than socializing is linked to better mental health.
Ocado also conducted a survey of 2,000 adults to reveal more about our attitudes towards Christmas shopping.
Scientists fitted 20 volunteers with heart monitors (pictured) to detect heart rate – an indicator of stress.
Overall, 63 percent of people said the most troublesome part of the store was experiencing long lines, while 60 percent said it was overcrowded and 39 percent said it was empty shelves.
Forgetting something at your grocery store (38 percent) and fighting with other shoppers in the parking lot (37 percent) also make stress levels higher than usual.
Other stressful tasks include worrying about staying within budget (32 percent) and carrying heavy bags (29 percent).
Overall, 47 per cent said grocery shopping at supermarkets over Christmas was difficult, while 18 per cent said they would rather clean their bathroom.
“With additional consumer research highlighting triggers such as long queues and crowded aisles, it’s no surprise that more Brits are willing to clean their bathroom rather than brave the shops,” added Professor Spence.
Another thing, cited by 21 percent as the biggest concern in the grocery store, is loud Christmas music.
It follows last year’s University of Bath research findings Consumers spend more when it comes to music – from Monday to Thursday.
That’s because consumers during the week are mentally tired from the work week, and music lifts their mood, making them spend more money, experts said.
At Christmas time, shops and businesses tend to play little festive tunes on repeat.
A 2017 Scholarships found that the constant repetition of holiday music can be debilitating for store employees.
About 61 percent of people experience anxiety during the Christmas season, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
Common causes of festive stress include shopping, cooking, spending money and wanting to please people – for example friends and in-laws.
