Aviva research: Brits lose almost £231 billion a year having hard time making the right decision

New research from Aviva reveals that getting divorced/ending a long-term relationship (31%) and buying a new home (29%) are life’s most difficult decisions
Brits lose almost £23¹ billion in a year, on average, due to being indecisive
More than a quarter (26%) of Brits find decision-making difficult due to financial pressures
To help tackle this, the leading insurer has partnered with Katie Piper and behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings to launch the Aviva Decision School, a free online teaching academy that trains people to defeat indecision and move forward in their lives

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 13-Sep-2021 — /EuropaWire/ — Aviva plc, a British multinational insurance company and a member of the FTSE 100 index, has released a new research revealing that Brits lose almost 43 nights’ sleep a year² worrying about making the right decision, the equivalent of an astounding 17 billion hours³ of lost sleep amongst UK adults.

To help the nation tackle its indecisiveness, Aviva has partnered with Katie Piper and behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings to launch the “Aviva Decision School” – an online teaching academy that trains people to overcome hesitancy to make decisions and life changes more easily and with confidence.

When it comes to life’s most difficult choices, getting divorced/ending a long-term relationship tops the list (31%); followed by buying a new home (29%) and relocating to a new country (27%). Others include changing job or career (27%), getting married (25%) and having/adopting a child (21%).

The emotional process of making a big decision can be daunting, with almost half of Brits (49%) feeling anxious when doing so; more than two-fifths (43%) getting stressed, and almost a third (32%) feeling overwhelmed.

In fact, three fifths of Brits (60%) admit to putting off making a big decision, with almost a fifth (19%) doing so often, and 16% delaying decisions very often. Deciding when to retire is the decision Brits take the longest time over, taking on average 10 months and 7 days.

The Aviva Decision School is a free course available to the public. It is designed to help people learn the art of confident decision-making and break free from the shackles of procrastination as they grapple with the everyday and life-changing choices they have to make in their lives.

The curriculum of lessons and guidance covers a range of different areas specially targeted at how to make life choices with ease, including overcoming any related anxiety, making decisions under pressure, and trusting one’s instincts.

Almost a third of Brits put off making a big commitment due to difficulty trusting their instincts (32%); 24% delay as they overcome anxiety related to a particular decision, and 17% feel that they don’t have the right tools or expertise available to them.

The choices we make have a big impact on our lives, including financially. On average, Brits estimate they lose £421 a year due to being indecisive, with 35–44-year-olds losing the most (£506). In fact, almost a fifth of Brits (19%) believe they’ve lost over £500 in a year due to being hesitant.

More than one in 10 respondents (11%) have missed out on a job offer due to procrastinating, whilst 7% have missed out on buying a home or have had to buy a more expensive one as a result.

Alongside Katie Piper and behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings, the Aviva Decision School includes inspiring and practical advice and insights from a range of expert decision-makers from different fields:

Leroy Logan MBE – Former superintendent in the Metropolitan Police and founding member and former chairman of the Black Police Association. Logan was involved in the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and the inquiry into the killing of Damilola Taylor.
Vanessa O’Brien – Mountaineer, explorer, author, and former business executive. In 2020, O’Brien became the first woman to reach Earth’s highest and lowest points, receiving a Guinness World Record.

Raj Kumar, Corporate Reputation Director at Aviva, said: “Our research shows that the majority of us struggle with decision-making at various stages of our lives and, as a result, we Brits are no strangers to procrastination. We know the last 18 months have really made a lot of people rethink their priorities, which has led to some challenging decision-making.

“That’s why it felt like just the right time for us to launch the Aviva Decision School with Katie and Jo – to help the nation tackle its issues with indecision and provide people with the practical tools they need to make decisions with ease.”

Behavioural Psychologist, Jo Hemmings, said: “Making decisions – and avoiding them – can have a huge impact on our emotional and physical wellbeing, as well as our relationships, finances and a host of other factors. It’s natural for many of us to feel overwhelmed when it comes to life’s more difficult decisions. However, it doesn’t mean that you have to be alone in making them. The Aviva Decision School addresses a host of topics, from overcoming anxiety or procrastination, to dealing with pressure and trusting your instincts.”

Author, Philanthropist & Presenter, Katie Piper, said: “Life can bring many opportunities and challenges, which are sometimes difficult to navigate. Being part of the Aviva Decision School has been a wonderful opportunity and has allowed me to reflect on decisions I’ve made throughout my life and professional career. It’s been a pleasure to work alongside Aviva, Jo and our inspiring decision makers to share advice and help instil confidence in decision-making.”

To find out more about the Aviva Decision School and view the first suite of tools, visit: www.aviva.co.uk/decisionschool

The top 15 most difficult decisions to make

Getting divorced or ending a long-term relationship – 31%
Buying a new home – 29%
Relocating to a new country – 27%
Changing job or career – 27%
Getting married – 25%
Having or adopting a child – 21%
Moving in with a partner – 20%
Relocating to new city – 20%
Caring for a family member – 19%
Where to invest money – 15%
Deciding when to retire – 13%
Choosing a pension – 10%
School choices – 8%
Pursuing further education and choosing a degree (or deciding not to do so) – 8%
Getting a pet – 7%

The life decisions Brits spend the most time procrastinating over (on average, in months)

Deciding when to retire – 10 months, 7 days
Getting married – 8 months, 29 days
Getting divorced or ending a long-term relationship – 8 months, 26 days
Relocating to a new country – 7 months, 14 days
Having or adopting a child – 7 months, 4 days
Buying a new home (house/flat) – 6 months, 29 days
Changing job or career – 6 months, 28 days
Moving in with a partner – 6 months, 9 days
Relocating to new city – 6 months, 2 days
Choosing a pension – 5 months, 19 days
Pursuing further education and choosing a degree – 5 months, 12 days
Getting a pet – 5 months
School choices – 4 months, 19 days
Where to invest money – 4 months, 13 days
Caring for a family member – 4 months, 6 days

The top reasons why those who think decision making is hardest at a particular age find decision-making difficult.

Uncertainty about the future – 46%
Their general life experience – 39%
People don’t know what they want/need – 35%
Financial pressure – 35%
Family commitments – 25%
People are short of time to do research – 15%

Ends

Media contact

For media enquiries about Aviva Decision School, please contact Hope&Glory PR: Aviva@hopeandglorypr.com

Sources:

¹_{Average of £420.55 lost in a year due to being indecisive (excluding those who selected ‘N/A’ and ‘Not sure’) x 54,098,971 (ONS 2019 mid-year UK 16+ population) = £22,751,322,254}

²_{Average of 6.15 hours of sleep are lost a week per person (excluding those who selected ‘I don’t worry about making the right decision’) x 52 (weeks in calendar year) = 319.8 hours lost a year / 7.5 (Mean average of NHS recommended hours of sleep per night) = 42.64 nights sleep lost}

³_{Average of 6.15 hours of sleep are lost a week per person x 52 (weeks in calendar year) x (ONS 2019 midyear UK 16+ population) 54,098,971 = 17,300,850,9265.8}

Methodology:

^{Research conducted by Censuswide in the UK with 2,004 respondents aged (Nationally Representative) 16+ between 28-29 July 2021. The survey was conducted from a random sample of UK adults. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.}

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