If you can’t pinpoint the flake in your friendship group, it’s likely to be you! So, are you a ‘Reliable Rita’ or a ‘Flaky Florence’? This quiz will help you find out if you need to brush up on being a better bestie.
It comes after a poll, of 2,000 adults, revealed faking illness, family commitments and tiredness as the 20 most common excuses to dodge a social occasion. Others claim transport issues, poor weather or an ill child is preventing them from attending.
While 59% claim they are often too tired to meet up with friends after work, 66% think it’s important to have a good work life balance and to ensure they stick to this work life balance, one in ten prefer getting a taxi to events after work, with only four% opting for the tube.
TV life coach, Anna Williamson, who has teamed with FREENOW UK, said: “I urge people to get out of work on time and seize those precious hours in the evening to do something that makes them feel good.
“There will always be barriers and easy-to-make excuses but the more we overcome these, the better. Personally, my anxiety and panic on public transport can stop me from venturing into London to catch up with friends.
“I overcome this by always having my cab pre-booked in advance which gives me peace of mind and a convenient way to travel. Finding strategies to navigate around these barriers can make a significant difference in our ability to enjoy life and do the things we enjoy.”
The study also found social gatherings such as parties or dinners with friends (47%), work events (36%) and family gatherings (26%) are among the plans people are most likely to turn down.
After turning them down, 28% admit they can feel guilty and 14% say cancelling plans can lead to feelings of loneliness or isolation.
Try this quiz to find out if you’re likely to be a ‘flaky’ friend:
On a positive note, 29% admitted that while they dread social events in the lead up to them, they usually end up enjoying themselves when they actually get there.
And despite many throwing around excuses to get themselves out of a social situation, 41% would be upset if the shoe were on the other foot.
It also emerged that 30% of people socialise with friends at least once-a-week and 65% do at least once-a-month, while only 22% of people see their friends less than once-a-month.
More than a quarter (28%) blame this on spending most of their time at work, while 37% will work late for a few days a week or more.
Of the 12% who feel they have a bad work-life balance, 38% think their quality of sleep would improve if they made it better. While 34% of those who took part in the study, by OnePoll.com, said the same about their stress levels.
Nour Rasamny, head of operations at FREENOW UK, added: “You can sometimes get into a rut of saying no to things. However, socialising and maintaining connections are essential for mental health and overall well-being.
“Our research highlights the importance of getting out and about in the city and making time for friends despite busy schedules, and we facilitate this by allowing users to pre-book a cab so they don’t need to worry about how they get where they need to be on time.”