Why has the New Year got the highest rate for break-ups?

Why has the New Year got the highest rate for break-ups?

There are lots of figures floating around that highlight how many people are now getting divorced. The figure of one in three couples that end their relationships with divorce has been mentioned for some time so it seems that divorce is very much on the up. There are certain times of year that put a lot more strain on relationships, resulting in flurries of breakups. The New Year is often considered to be one of the most popular times to split, but why?

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Pressure

There seems to be an unwritten rule that everyone is supposed to get very excited and happy as the festive season approaches. The decorations go up, the shops get filled with gifts and yummy treats and the Christmas message of ‘eat, drink and be merry’ is almost rammed down our throats as soon as Halloween is out of the way. However, there is also an immense amount of pressure on people at this time of year. Buying Christmas presents, preparing for the big day and generally getting everything ready can be incredibly stressful for some people.

If you are strapped for cash, it can make everything that much harder to manage because you may have money worries as you try to purchase all your presents and make sure all the bills get paid on time. A lot of people go all out at Christmas and spend an absolute fortune without even meaning to. If you are in a relationship and one of you spends considerably more than the other on Christmas gifts, it can create a divide between you, highlighting differences in salary, lifestyle and even personal views.

Family gatherings

Christmas time is often the only time families all get together. This can cause emotions to run wild and arguments may be high on the agenda. Being in such close proximity to so many people can feel quite claustrophobic and there will inevitably be disagreements. Any pre-existing tensions can often come to a head at this time of year as well.

You may have opinions of certain members of the family, particularly the partners of close relatives and it can be hard to keep a hold of these emotions and not let them cause any problems over the festive period. This added pressure can cause rifts and discomfort within a family and in individual relationships. Being around the family can make you re-evaluate your whole life and their views can heavily influence your decisions, particularly if they have always been close to you and know your character very well.

New beginnings

One of the other things that can cause people to break up over the New Year period is the idea of new beginnings. People have a tradition of making resolutions on New Year’s Eve and they often see the New Year as a chance to have a fresh start. Off the back of what may have been a high-pressure, stressful Christmas, divorce is a popular option. A new year often means a new lifestyle with people signing up to gyms, looking for new jobs and changing their personal relationships.

If things haven’t gone well over the festive period, some people may see it as the final straw in their relationship and choose to end it as the New Year comes in. They may be keen to start the year with a clean slate and leave things behind from the previous twelve months. There is also the added pressure of Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching that can scare some people, particularly if they have already been having some doubts about their relationship. It’s easy to start over-analysing things and – for some people – this spells the end of their relationship.

First stages

People who have been thinking about breaking up for some time may use the festive period as an excuse to actually end things, in an attempt to soften the blow. Adding the reasons of financial pressure, a fresh start and family disputes may make it easier to walk away from a failing relationship and give them more reasons to reiterate their decision in their own mind as well.

Speaking to divorce lawyers like Adam’s Law can be a good place to start if you are thinking about ending your marriage. You can get some professional advice about what your next steps should be to try and make the split as amicable as possible.