Brits prepared to mislead their mates to keep away from social plans and embrace January ‘JOMO’
Plenty of boring Brits are loving the joy of missing out (JOMO) as they settle in for a quiet, lazy January devoid of many social plans
Three-quarters of exhausted Brits are planning to embrace a quiet January – and are willing to LIE and cancel social plans to protect it.
A whopping 79% of homebodies are embracing ‘JOMO’ – or the joy of missing out – with cancellations and quiet personal time trumping socialising.
Desperate to enjoy full JOMO mode, 80% of Brits genuinely want plans to be cancelled so they can stay home, while more than half (55%) admitted cancelling on family and friends for some ‘me-time’.
Compare the Market research revealed that Brits tell an average of two-and-a-half white lies a month to wriggle out of plans. Half (49%) of the 2,000 Brits quizzed confess to holding out on committing to plans, waiting to see if a ‘better offer’ comes along.
January sick days are even being quietly repurposed, with 42% of Brits considering taking sick days just to have some downtime after a hectic December.
The first month of the year has quietly become the nation’s unofficial hibernation month, with 74% of Brits planning to focus on ‘me-time’ over spending time with family and friends.
More than half (57%) believe January should be a socially accepted ‘No Season’ where people prioritise themselves.
When it comes to ‘No Season’, Gen Z are leading the charge, with 77% of Gen Z-ers admitting they’d cancel plans for some much-needed alone time.
Millennials aren’t far behind, with more than three-quarters (74%) also revealing they’d cancel their plans. Conversely 69% of Boomers would never cancel plans just to have ‘me time’.
Brits will go to extreme lengths to have some solitude, with 56% admitting to sitting outside their house in their car to get some alone time, averaging around 19 minutes.
Shockingly, more than a fifth (21%) spend up to half an hour in their motors, while 13% spending more than 30 minutes.
At home, the bathroom has become the go-to spot for some peace.
Almost half (45%) say the loo is where they can be undisturbed, with a third (32%) confessing they’ve even tackled life admin there.
A telly-loving 41% of Brits admitting they prefer watching TV alone and 36% say they’ve even bought a second TV purely to indulge in solo viewing without compromise.
When it comes to how Brits spend reclaimed me-time, film nights top the list (69%), followed by reading (41%), long baths (28%) and catching up on sleep with a well-earned nap (24%).
Others dedicate time to scrolling on social media (24%) or simply sitting in silence on the sofa and ignoring the world entirely (18%).
Brits say life admin is the biggest blocker to January bliss, with 34% saying shopping around for a better deal on household necessities, such as insurance, eating into precious downtime.
With so much pressure and so little time, Brits say January is when they need simplicity most.
Charlie Evans, Money Expert at Compare the Market, said: “It’s clear that Brits are exhausted after Christmas and want nothing more than simple, quiet, unapologetic time to themselves.
“After weeks of saying ‘yes’ to everything, people want the freedom to say ‘no’ without guilt and enjoy proper ‘me-time’.
“January is a pressure cooker of new routines, back-to-work chaos and financial strain, so anything that reduces the mental load can make a difference.
“Luckily, comparing bills and sorting life admin can take minutes, not hours, with Compare the Market.
“So when Brits do finally have some spare time, there’s no better time than January to get your finances in order for the year ahead.”
Compare the Market simplifies life admin to help Brits spend less time battling with their bills and more time curled up on the sofa doing whatever brings them joy this January.
To find out more, please visit: https://www.comparethemarket.com/money/content/embracing-the-joy-of-missing-out/
