The Christmas Stress Gender Gap

Let us guess, this year like every other you have somehow ended up with a Christmas to-do list that could well take until mid-June to complete. Your partner on the other hand, has taken to remaining blissfully ignorant of the imminent Christmas season, destined to have only a stressful ten minute period at approximately 5.45 on Christmas Eve, during which they organise and buy everything their gift list. And every single year, you wish you could have taken less of an essential role in yuletide organisation – although in the back of your mind you know that if you were to do that, Christmas may not?actually happen.

You’re not alone. According to an article by Forbes and a survey of 2,000 people, women will be on average 11% more stressed than men this Christmas.

Despite the fact that the pay gaps between men and women have narrowed (albeit not completely) the division of domestic work, especially around Christmas, isn’t always equal. The tasks of ordering the turkey, decorating the tree, making Christmas dinner, and buying the kids presents aren’t always the ones that will automatically go to the man in your life.

You may have extravagant plans to throw the perfect cocktail party, make a gourmet five course dinner for fifteen people, and plan perfect decadent presents for all your loved ones. However, if you’d honestly prefer to sit by the fire in your slippers with a glass of wine, never forget that that is absolutely perfectly fine, and with the weather we’ve been experiencing, pretty understandable.

Hannah Popham @HannahPopham