Every third citizen is stressed by gift shopping

Result

One in three Germans feels stressed by Christmas gift shopping. Gender, income, or city size hardly play a role, but life stage does. Young adults, parents, and couples in particular report finding browsing the high streets or searching for gifts online exhausting. This is significantly less common among retirees and young seniors. On a positive note, two-thirds of Germans do not consider gift shopping stressful, but rather enjoy it.

Reasons

We undoubtedly live in a fast-paced world, and December in particular often resembles a stressful race against time: The expectation is to make the most of the pre-Christmas period and get as much done as possible in order to then enjoy the holidays. In practice, this means – in addition to work, household chores, other usual obligations, family, and friends – also making preparations for Christmas. Our homes need to be decorated and made beautiful, meals planned, appointments organized, and the tree bought and decorated. And then there's the search for the perfect gifts for loved ones, gifts that should ideally be unique, homemade, personally chosen, and neither too expensive nor too cheap – in short, just perfect.

As a consequence, stress levels rise, although the reasons for this vary among people when it comes to gift shopping. Some are stressed by the decision-making process, others by the price or the time pressure. The hustle and bustle in shops or the fear of not having bought the right thing and ending up with only a compromise gift also puts many people under pressure. The internet is both a blessing and a curse in this regard. On the one hand, it offers almost endless possibilities for finding the ideal present; on the other hand, searching from the comfort of one's own sofa also costs time and energy. Added to this is the worry of perhaps paying too much or not being able to find an even more suitable gift.

Forecast

Many people long for a slower pace and more contemplative moments at Christmas. To achieve this, it's important to plan ahead, delegate tasks, and reduce appointments. It's also crucial to reflect on what's truly necessary, where expectations can be lowered, and what's important to you personally. And one of the most precious gifts, whether for children, parents, or grandparents, for singles, couples, or families, is time spent together – time that is stress-free for both the giver and the recipient.