Horlicks research reveals it takes up to 6 days to recover from an embarrassing moment

·         35% of us have accidently left our curtains open and been caught with little to no clothing on 

·         A third (33%) realised that the window has been ajar during a heated argument 

·         Nearly a third (32%) were overheard by their neighbours whilst gossiping about them, not ideal for neighbourly relations

·         Over a third of parents (34%) questioned admit to forgetting to hit the mute button before telling children off

·         43% said on average it takes up to 6 days to recover from an embarrassing incident

Do you think you’re having a bad day at work? Have you ever told your boss you love them? The poll found 30% of people admitted to signing off on a work call with ‘I love you’ and another 38% were guilty of signing off a work email with a kiss.

How about any DIY disasters? Normally these go hand in hand with bank holidays, but spending so much time at home and FINALLY getting round to THE list, for many they have become a regular occurrence. Did you know, nearly 2 in 5 of us (39%) have managed to cut off our electricity while tackling DIY projects, and about the same amount (38%) have botched their plastering or painting jobs. We understand DIY can come as second nature to some people, but next time you think of fixing something, think of this. 29% of people stated they have drilled into a water pipe while tackling a DIY job, that’s nearly 3 in 10 people with an unplanned swimming pool in their living room now.

A key challenge for parents during lock down 1 and 3 is the responsibility for our children’s education, so let us ask the question, are you smarter than a 10 year old? Apparently not everyone is. Over a quarter (27%) of parents who responded admitted they couldn’t answer a homework question.

Working from home whilst teaching? Trying to control bored children whilst keeping a professional demeanour can be challenging but you are not alone – over a third of parents questioned (34%) admitted to forgetting to hit the mute button before telling children off leaving colleagues to see how little patience you actually have.

Managing all the above and feeding a full house? Havoc is being caused across homes as parents rush to answer the snack and meal demands of children. Of those who have had home cooking disasters, 46% of respondents burnt the food they were cooking, a classic! 4 in 10 reported dropping dishes whilst cooking and an amazing 40% of us reported using the completely wrong ingredients for a recipe, like using salt instead of sugar in your brownies!

Spending so much more time at home also means we finally get to know our neighbours a little better – pleasant hellos and chit chat on our daily walks, clapping together for the carers or even a distant ‘cheers’ on VE day. Or there were those unplanned engagements we wished never happened? Horlicks survey found that of over a third of respondents (35%) have accidently left their curtains open and been caught with little to no clothing on, a third (33%) realised that the window has been ajar during a heated argument and nearly a third (32%) were overheard by their neighbours whilst gossiping about them, not ideal for neighbourly relations.

Finally, tried a dating app during lockdown? It has been widely reported that online dating apps have experienced a ‘boom’ during the pandemic, but not all cyber dating is straight forward. Of those claiming to have experienced a lockdown dating blunder, more than 2 in 5 (43%) accidently sent a photo to the wrong person, nearly 2 in 5, a third of people called their date by the wrong name (33%) and another third (33%) saw a work colleague or their boss on the same dating app, whether in a relationship or not!

Although some of these misdemeanours can be comical from the outside, it can take the person involved a long time to recover from embarrassing episodes. 22% said on average its takes 4-6 days to recover from the incident, and a similar number (21%) said it takes them 1-3 days. However, worryingly 13% of people said they ‘never recover’ from an embarrassing moment

Suniel Makh, a certified Master Coach and Mentor, NLP Practitioner, Life Coach and Hypnotherapist states: “It’s so important that with all the heaviness in the world at the moment, that there are plenty of reasons to be down and understandably so given everything that it going on. However, having humour and allowing ourselves to smile and see the funny side of things, gives us the opportunity to recharge, to get back on it.

“I am not saying dismiss how you are feeling, but when we can laugh at things, it does wonders for our mental health, as it breaks up the sadness that’s around and temporarily relieves the pressure, and we do feel better for it. It gives us that little boost to go again.

Michelle Younger, Head of Marketing for Aimia Foods, parent company to Horlicks comments: “The last year has brought with it many, many challenges to us all. It has also delivered a few humorous, often awkward moments, giving us a chance to have a little laugh as we look back and reflect on how our everyday life adapted to the necessary changes so we can eventually emerge from the pandemic stronger. We commissioned the survey as part of our Time for a Horlicks campaign, which promotes being kind to you and others, taking a little time out to unwind, and reflect rather than allow stressful everyday moments to build up, particularly as a large number of people are being shown to be holding onto the more embarrassing moments, weeks later.”

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