With the cost of living crisis persisting in the UK and unemployment rates climbing, many Britons are seeking ways to enhance their happiness and overall wellbeing. Against this backdrop, biscuit brand McVitie's has launched a campaign to revive the tradition of the biscuit break, encouraging the nation to embrace meaningful moments of connection.
The Power of Small Connections
Dr Ellie Buckley, a 33-year-old chartered psychologist from London who rose to fame as a contestant on Season 4 of The Traitors UK, has partnered with McVitie's to promote this initiative. She exclusively shared insights with our publication on how simple habits can significantly impact wellbeing.
Dr Ellie explained: 'Small moments of connection can have a surprisingly powerful effect on psychological wellbeing because humans are wired for social connection and emotional belonging. Wellbeing is often shaped less by dramatic experiences and more by the accumulation of everyday social moments. Tiny acts of warmth and responsiveness can strengthen relationships over time and create a greater sense of connection, support, and emotional stability.'
Building Connection Into Daily Routines
When asked how individuals can incorporate more connection into their busy lives, Dr Ellie advised: 'Meaningful connection rarely appears as a dramatic life event. More often, it’s built through small, repeated moments of attention. A practical starting point is to treat connection as a daily habit instead of something that happens “when there’s time.” That might mean sending one thoughtful message each day, greeting people warmly, expressing genuine appreciation, or creating small rituals like a shared tea and biscuit break, walk, or weekly check-in.'
The Endangered Biscuit Break
According to McVitie's research, nearly half of Brits (45%) believe the biscuit break is endangered. The study reveals that 46% feel guilty for taking time out of their day, with busy working days (27%), constant to-do lists (24%), and packed home routines (18%) among the top daily expectations contributing to this guilt. Over half of Brits (54%) feel pressure to always be 'on', and the same number feel too busy to stop at all.
As a result, 57% feel they are missing out on key moments of connection due to the demands of modern life, with 48% saying they are often too busy to take regular moments to reset during the day. Everyday opportunities for connection are increasingly being missed.
Regional Differences
Londoners experience the most pressure to always be 'on', with 58% feeling the strain. In Northern Ireland, 62% say they cannot break at all, the highest percentage of any region. When moments of downtime do occur, they are often spent alone—doomscrolling on phones (47%) or catching up on messages (35%)—rather than shared with others.
Dr Ellie added: 'It’s often the smallest, most spontaneous moments—a quick chat over a biscuit and a cuppa, a shared pause between tasks, whether that’s between meetings or in the middle of a busy day of parenting, a knock on the door or a check-in message—that can feel meaningful.'
This National Biscuit Day, McVitie's aims to encourage the nation to embrace more meaningful moments together, one biscuit break at a time, celebrating the simple moments of connection that come from sharing a biscuit with someone you care about.
