Three quarters of Brits are living a Groundhog Day lifestyle – because they are ‘frightened of change’, a study has revealed. Researchers found as many as three quarters of us stick with the same hairstyle, the same hair color and have the same thing for breakfast each and every day.
They also have a favorite mug, go to bed at the same time and regularly frequent the same restaurant.
The statistics also revealed that almost three in ten went as far as to admit they are ‘scared’ to try new things.
Research carried out to mark the launch of Clipper Teas‘ #changetastesgood campaign also found that almost six in ten actively avoid change.
Commenting on the findings, life Coach Amanda Brown said:
“We stick with what we know for a number of reasons: it’s easy, we feel safe and secure, or we simply don’t imagine anything different to what we already have.
“Change is a word that seems to strike up fear in people when actually change is a really positive thing. ‘’We find big changes in life easier to tackle than small changes because we approach them in different ways.
“Big changes are often the result of us wanting something different, a new job, house, car or a relationship.
“We find it easier to change things if we don’t like something because we can see pleasure in the change.
“When we change tiny things such as a shade of lipstick or our brand of tea we send positive messages to the brain that we can make change happen every day, which builds our confidence.
“The great thing is, if we decide we’d like to make a small change we can ‘try it on’ and see if it suits us.
“Trying something new doesn’t mean we lose the comfort zone, it just means we’ve giving something a go, and it’s only by trying it first that we can decide if we like it or not.”
The study of 2,000 Brits found that 74% feel like every day is Groundhog Day, with nine in ten adults saying they often follow the same routines every single day.
But despite this, 59% go out of their way to avoid change.
And while just under half of respondents said they like to stick with what they know, 32% worry about what would happen if they mixed things up a bit.
Researchers also found that our hairstyle is the thing Brits are least likely to change, with one in five admitting they’ve not had a new hairstyle for a decade.
Hair colour, breakfast choices, the mug we use for tea and even what time to go to bed are also among the top things that Brits are reluctant to change.
Other things in the top ten include the brands of food and drink they buy, when to do the shopping and even the brand of tea, with 10% admitting they have never tried a different type of tea.
However, it seems we’re much more at ease with making big life-changing decisions, with the results showing Brits are twice as likely to have dumped their partner in the last ten years as they are to have changed their brand of tea bag.
And while a fifth of respondents have changed jobs in the last ten years, just one in ten have given a new moisturiser a go. But this reluctance to change has led to friction in some relationships with a third admitting to rowing with their partner over it.
Despite this, eight in ten believe they would actually benefit from making small changes to their everyday life, with three quarters wishing they could find a way to escape their comfort zone.
Clipper Teas has this week launched a campaign to encourage people to switch to Fairtrade tea, one small change which makes a big impact in the lives of tea workers and their families #changetastesgood.
Top ten small changes Brits avoid
1. Hairstyle
2. Hair colour
3. What I have for breakfast
4. The mug I use
5. What time I go to bed
6. The brands of food and drink I buy
7. The takeaway restaurant I use
8. When I do my shopping
9. The brand of teabags I use
10. The time of day I have a cup of tea