Eight in 10 Brits avoid being spontaneous, with many saying they need at least a week's notice before making plans. A poll of 2,000 adults found that nearly half (45%) don't want to feel rushed, while others prefer to stay in control or lack motivation.
Two-thirds prefer planning ahead
Two thirds (63%) admitted they prefer to plan ahead rather than be impulsive, but for 17% the pressure of getting everything "perfect" is a key reason they put off making last-minute plans altogether. Women are more likely than men to make excuses to get out of last minute plans, 42% and 32% respectively.
Home mess and door-dodging
It turns out, 29% of adults won't invite people over at short notice because they worry about their home being messy, and 23% have gone as far as pretending not to be in rather than answer the door. Despite this, 23% would like to be more spontaneous, and 21% believe it would make life more fun.
Expert says habits can be fixed
The research was commissioned by Hotpoint as part of its "Just Come Over" Season encouraging the nation to say yes to spontaneity again this summer. Dr Angharad Rudkin, a clinical psychologist who worked with the appliances brand, said: "What's exciting about the research is what it reveals about appetite, not just avoidance – people actively want to be more spontaneous, and most already sense it would make us happier."
"The barrier isn't desire, it's small, fixable habits: feeling rushed, or believing that a home needs to be 'ready' before anyone's invited round. I'd encourage letting go of those habits - and it doesn't take much, saying yes to a last-minute invite, or accepting that your home doesn't need to be perfect, can genuinely shift how connected and fulfilled life feels."
Women more likely to want tidy home
The study found more than a quarter of women (28%) said having a tidy home would help them feel more spontaneous, compared to 19% of men. While 26% of women claimed having food and drinks ready would encourage last-minute plans, something just 19% of men also said. Women were also more likely to feel able to be spontaneous when their home was running smoothly (23%), compared to 18% of men.
Kimberley Garner, from Hotpoint, said: "We've seen 115 years' worth of spontaneous hosting, and this research shows just how much pressure people put on themselves before they'll open their front door. Just Come Over Season is about giving the nation the confidence to say yes at short notice – because some of the best get-togethers are the ones nobody planned."
