We’ve partnered up with The Speakmans to help you beat the cringe this Christmas
We’ve partnered up with The Speakmans to help you beat the cringe this Christmas
This Christmas, we’ve teamed up with our favourite TV therapists Nik and Eva Speakman to transform the nation’s cringiest moments into a festive fable – A Cringemas Tale – aimed at bringing us all together to laugh at life’s embarrassing moments, along with tips on how to overcome them this winter.
We conducted a little research ahead of the festive season and found that December was voted as the month where most people seem to embarrass themselves.
With end-of-year parties on the horizon, office workers are in the spotlight – almost 74% say they’ve experienced their most cringe worthy moments at a workplace party. 40% of those we asked have lost sleep by over-thinking about their unfortunate mishaps or having flashbacks to cringey moments from the past.
From calling your in laws by the wrong name to opening embarrassing presents in front of the family, the festive season is packed with cringeworthy opportunities. But it seems cringe isn’t just for Christmas!
Topping the list of the UK’s cringiest moments are couples talking in silly voices voted at 27%, falling over in public at 27%, and telling a joke that nobody laughs at, which got 23%! And it’s not just individuals – 40% of couples said that embarrassing scenarios have a lasting effect on their relationships, with 37% saying there is a ‘specific’ cringe moment in their lives that their family and friends continually talk about.
With 47% of us admitting to trying to laugh off cringey moments, the famous TV partnership seeks to embrace the humour in these awkward moments through therapeutic guidance, ensuring that people across the UK can navigate and overcome embarrassment for a cringe-free festive season.
Nik and Eva Speakman said: “Embracing the cringe is the key to unlocking the magic of the season and not being kept awake at night. Our tips and advice in collaboration with Premier Inn will help turn those awkward moments into stories of unity, understanding and shared holiday cheer. ‘Tis the season to cringe no more and spread the joy of understanding.”
Tamara Strauss, Global Customer Director at Premier Inn, shared:
“Everyone deserves a good night's sleep, and it’s more important than ever at times of celebration when routines can be disrupted due to parties and social gatherings.
We’re thrilled to team up with The Speakmans and to turn the tide on cringe moments, changing those awkward experiences which may be keeping you up at night into tales and shared laughter, ensuring everyone can rest easy and cringe no more."
And, in the spirit of the holiday season, a final reminder from A Cringemas Tale:
"Remember this Christmas, whatever you do, be kind to each other and be kind to you. We’re all trying our best, but we’ll slip up for sure, so, rest easy tonight, and cringe no more."
Nik and Eva Speakman’s 10 tips to tackle your moments of festive cringe
- Laugh about the cringe. When you laugh at yourself it changes your emotions and dilutes the cringe. Laughter counteracts stress hormones, increases endorphins, and helps you feel better. Laughter is the antidote to cringe.
- The more you talk about your cringe, the more accepting you become of the situation and subsequently the less embarrassed you feel. Some of our most embarrassing moments are so relatable to others and sharing helps us belong.
- Talk to the other person involved (if applicable). Be open and say, ‘I made a mistake, I’m so embarrassed, can we start again’. Owning your cringe, apologising, and doing something about it can positively help change your perspective.
- Think about the cringe moment and sigh. Repeat this a few times. Sighing relays the message to your brain something is over, and it releases feel good neurotransmitters, reducing your cringe levels.
- Close your eyes and imagine the whole event going backwards. Like a movie on rewind. Repeat this several times, making it faster and faster each time to scramble the memory and remove your associated negative emotions.
- Be kind to yourself. Remember whatever it was, you did not do it intentionally, we are all fallible and we all do silly things from time to time.
- If you find yourself dwelling, create a positive affirmation to repeat. For example, “Everyone messes up every now and then. No one else cares! Laugh at yourself, learn from this and have a positive frame of mind!
- Ask others about their most embarrassing moment (or go online to find some celebrities cringiest moments). Gathering evidence will give you confirmation cringe moments are part of life. You may also notice that yours was not as bad as some other people’s major cringe moments.
- Appreciate you’re most possibly the only one remembering the event because you have emotion attached. Everyone else was an observer and may have laughed in the moment but forgot it afterwards. They are also likely occupied with their own thoughts and even cringe moments and they are not dwelling on yours.
- Are you a legend? If what you did was off the scale cringeworthy, then that can equal off the scale legendary! Many people will consider you a legend. If that’s you, own your crown, accept your title, boast about your story, share your legendary story and cringe no more!
Premier Inn and The Speakmans present A Cringemas Tale
A Cringemas Tale
’Tis the cringe before Christmas, the world’s gone to bed
While others are sleeping, you’re cringing instead.
Hannah dressed up as the Grinch head to toe,
The theme had been cancelled a few weeks ago.
Noah can’t sleep, he’s pulling his hair
Cos he fell through his partner’s Dad’s favourite chair.
Mandeep was charming, she’d brought her best banter,
Then she regifted last year’s Secret Santa.
Ashley was smashing it, small talk galore.
He was at the wrong party, his mates were next door.
Lanre’s great aunt gave him towels as a gift
But he worried he’d caused a big family rift
He messaged his buddies a pic for a joke
He’d actually texted his auntie, poor bloke.
We’ve all had our moments, gone rogue on the decks
Turned up a day early, bumped into an ex,
We’ve all broken glasses and partied too hard
Or got too excited when playing Charades.
I’ve been there.
I’ve been there.
Happens lots in December.
But who knows if anyone else can remember?
If you're tossing and turning, worried and stressed
We’ve got a few tips that might help you to rest.
If you’re lying awake, thinking ‘What a disaster,’
Play the cringe backwards each time getting faster.
Playing it backwards, like it’s on rewind,
Helps scramble the memory up in your mind.
Try this:
Have a laugh, tell your friends, don’t be shy.
Think of the cringe, let it out with a sigh.
Sigh it out.
Let it go.
Now do it again.
Say ‘Everyone does silly things, now and then’
If you need to, apologise, let people know
You’re embarrassed, you’re sorry, then use it to grow.
When you talk and you laugh and you share how you feel,
It brings people together and helps you to heal.
Ask others to share all the cringe they regret
We’re all in the same boat, though we sometimes forget
Everyone messes up, you’re not the first.
Maybe you’ll learn your cringe wasn’t the worst.
Remember this Christmas, whatever you do,
Be kind to each other and be kind to you.
We’re all trying our best, but we’ll slip up for sure
So, rest easy tonight, and cringe no more.
Hannah dressed up as the Grinch head to toe,
The theme had been cancelled a few weeks ago.
Noah can’t sleep, he’s pulling his hair
Cos he fell through his partner’s Dad’s favourite chair.
Mandeep was charming, she’d brought her best banter,
Then she regifted last year’s Secret Santa.
Ashley was smashing it, small talk galore.
He was at the wrong party, his mates were next door.
Lanre’s great aunt gave him towels as a gift
But he worried he’d caused a big family rift
He messaged his buddies a pic for a joke
He’d actually texted his auntie, poor bloke.
We’ve all had our moments, gone rogue on the decks
Turned up a day early, bumped into an ex,
We’ve all broken glasses and partied too hard
Or got too excited when playing Charades.
I’ve been there.
I’ve been there.
Happens lots in December.
But who knows if anyone else can remember?
If you're tossing and turning, worried and stressed
We’ve got a few tips that might help you to rest.
If you’re lying awake, thinking ‘What a disaster,’
Play the cringe backwards each time getting faster.
Playing it backwards, like it’s on rewind,
Helps scramble the memory up in your mind.
Try this:
Have a laugh, tell your friends, don’t be shy.
Think of the cringe, let it out with a sigh.
Sigh it out.
Let it go.
Now do it again.
Say ‘Everyone does silly things, now and then’
If you need to, apologise, let people know
You’re embarrassed, you’re sorry, then use it to grow.
When you talk and you laugh and you share how you feel,
It brings people together and helps you to heal.
Ask others to share all the cringe they regret
We’re all in the same boat, though we sometimes forget
Everyone messes up, you’re not the first.
Maybe you’ll learn your cringe wasn’t the worst.
Remember this Christmas, whatever you do,
Be kind to each other and be kind to you.
We’re all trying our best, but we’ll slip up for sure
So, rest easy tonight, and cringe no more.