Long gone are the times when every weekend revolved around long nights spent out of the house, drinking with friends until the early hours, and showing off your best moves in a nightclub. Today, more than half of us are instead opting for cosy nights in spent wining and dining with friends or curled up on the couch with a favourite film or Netflix series. Some might say that the younger generation is getting old before their time, but actually, maybe we're the ones getting it right. By taking more time to focus on our health (both mental and physical) we’re feeling better, being more productive and proactive in creating a positive environment for ourselves.
To test this point, we recently ran a short survey to find out some of the lengths people go to avoid going on wild nights out.
The results were interesting, to say the least…
Truth be told
Of our survey group, a staggering 61% of participants admitted to lying to friends or colleagues, telling stories of a wild night out when, in reality, they’d stayed indoors with a good book.
Surprisingly, 67% said that they had feigned illness in the past simply to avoid leaving the house, often bailing just a few hours before the start of the event. On top of that, 76% of us have agreed to go on a night out that we know we will not end up attending. And whilst it’s shocking that people are lying so they can stay cosy in bed, it’s clear to see there has been a significant shift in consumer behaviours of late.
While there are seemingly no boundaries on the lies we’re prepared to tell to avoid a big night out, some of us are still experiencing the issue of FOMO (fear of missing out), still a well-used phrase throughout 2019. So when we asked how many people had experienced this ‘fear’ over an evening’s get together, 75% stated that they had. You don’t want to be the person who missed out on ‘the best night ever’ just because you were feeling a little tired, or to save your precious pennies, right?
Well, our research revealed that’s not always the case as 65% of our survey group also stated that they had experienced JOMO (joy of missing out) with quiet nights in alone with Netflix for company, a face mask and snacks now becoming a widely accepted way to spend the weekends. Luxuriating in the pleasure of waking up hangover-free, with no fear over what happened the night before, or what your bank balance might look like after that last round of shots you bought.
Staying in for self-care
Without a doubt, a major contributor to this behaviour is the rise in popularity of self-care throughout 2018, with more and more people taking time out to look after and nurture themselves in everyday life and on digital detoxes - prioritising fitness levels, eating a more healthy diet and cutting back on alcohol. Our self-love is slowly starting to override our love of a boozy night out.
Pinterest’s Top 100 trends for 2019 supports this notion, highlighting the rise in searches for ‘sober living’ (up 746%) and sleep optimisation (+116%) all of which support the concept of self-care. Be it choosing to stay home for an early night or simply to avoid a heavy head the next day.
A penny for your thoughts
Money is another key deciding factor on whether to go out or not... This may not be a surprise, as the current challenging economic climate means that the younger generation, in particular, are having to be a bit more savvy with their pennies. A total of 83% of survey respondents stated that this was a key reason for staying in. Be it saving money to buy a new set of wheels, car, invest in a house or simply to save cash for memorable experiences that you’ll treasure forever (and that you’ll actually remember in the first place) such as heading off for a weekend break with your best friends in a gorgeous boutique cottage!
Savvy spending is something we expect to see more of in 2019 as political events [that shall not be named] have an effect on our culture, but with an anti-consumerist shift towards quality over quantity and memories over things being witnessed in all sectors from food and clothing to homes and holidays, we’re not sacrificing the things that bring us the most joy.
The run-away takeaway
For those who do brave a wild night out, a staggering 73% said that they have literally run away from an event in order to get a takeaway and head home to bed instead. With the fear factor of telling your friends you’re bailing to go to bed sitting heavy on your shoulders, sometimes the only thing you can do is run. Plus, lets face it, after a few drinks your decisions are heavily influenced and the body wants what the body wants, right? We suspect that the majority of the 73% probably wish that they’d opted in for a night in with a takeaway to start with…
Your time to shine
With the rising importance of self-care, we’re taking time out for ourselves to indulge in quality time with one another and this has been reflected everywhere, from food and fashion to our homes and holidays. Have you noticed any of these changes in your own life?
Discover the joy of a night (or a week) in at one of our charming cottages. One where you can enjoy a relaxing retreat with your friends. One where you won’t have to lie your way out of an event or spend days in bed suffering from ‘the worst hangover of your life’ claiming you’ll ‘never drink again’. Instead, you’re free to enjoy evenings in a bubbling hot tub, releasing your competitive side over a board game or two and indulging in delicious feasts of local foods.
These are the experiences you’ll look back on fondly for years to come.
Let’s make 2019 the year of the ‘night in’; we can’t wait to make thousands of perfect nights in at our homely holiday cottages in the UK.
*Survey conducted December 2018 with 2,900 UK-based participants aged 18+. 93% of participants were aged 18-29