Tea & DIY

Tea and DIY

Contents

Two Great British Obsessions – Tea and DIY

The stresses of DIY

While the majority of our sample (68%) felt that DIY was a fairly relaxing activity, and some even saw it as a therapeutic process, others noted the stress that many jobs can generate. "What makes it stressful is that there is always something that goes wrong." The fear of failure and criticism was also a distinct source of stress for some DIYers, often leading to tensions and quarrels between partners. "I shout at him, even when it isn't his fault", said one young spouse.

Such anxieties, however, were usually outweighed by the clear benefits that most first-timers gained from the DIY process. For some it seemed that DIY tasks were more like an adventure than just a means of routine home improvement, complete with potential traps and unavoidable detours en route. The stresses that were generated along the way added a special frisson of excitement – risk-taking in the pursuit of self satisfaction and a sense of achievement: "It's stressful when you're doing it because you want it to look nice. But the finished result always gives me a great buzz."