Researchers have found that couples are most likely to have a full-on row on January 25th. The article, in the Daily Express, says that “Nine out of 10 couples lose their cool on the Doom Day or the last Monday before pay day, usually on the first of the month, a study from bed maker Silentnight found.” Reasons given were that we are “back at work, it’s a long time till pay day and we’re exhausted because we’re not sleeping properly due to feeling miserable and stressed”. Well, January 25th has passed and I have to say it was a relatively calm day in terms of conjugal felicity. However, our personal situation has changed so much over the last month, having moved 1000 km from Barcelona to Andalusia over the Christmas period, that every day has been a rollercoaster ride of domestic ups and downs. Apparently moving house is one of the most stressful life events that you can possibly experience, and I’d definitely agree with that. Add the financial trauma of getting a mortgage in today’s climate and buying a property and you’ve got a recipe for some serious saucepan-throwing shouting matches (this imagery is just for dramatic effect, of course, that’s not my style). As for “pay day”, being self-employed removes the “waiting for pay day” factor (if only I could guarantee that my clients would pay me promptly on the same day, every month… I wish), which is replaced by that cold feeling of dread as you lie in your (Ikea, sorry Silentnight) bed wondering if they are ever going to pay your invoice (the self-employed are at the bottom of the payments food chain).

And apparently the average number of full-scale spats (compared perhaps to those grumbling, nagging run-ins) per month is usually 8, almost doubling to 14.6 in January. I wonder if the supposed “Brangelina” breakup that was “announced” on the same day could have anything to do with the Doom Day theory? (Perhaps not, what excuse would you have for being stressed if you had a shared wealth of 322 million dollars… obviously waking up next to Brad Pitt every day isn’t as good as we’d all thought girls.)

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