Conversations Brits avoid

A survey has revealed that over a third of Britons find it easier to talk about personal issues with their boss, workmates or even their hairdresser than they do talking about them with members of their family. The survey was conducted using answers from 1000 adults and revealed that difficult conversations, including those about Wills and estate planning, equates in many people’s minds with the difficulty in talking about sex.

Indeed, the prospect of discussing a Will was found to be a difficult subject to speak about for 18 per cent of those surveyed, but apparently it gets easier as people reach the over-60s age group, of which only 13 per cent were shown to be reluctant to take about it. In addition, 20 per cent of those in the over-60s age bracket admitted to finding some difficulty in discussing how they would like to be cared for as they descend further into old age and become less able to look after themselves.

These are worrying statistics considering that as a result of reluctance to talk about certain issues with loved ones, many have failed to deal with the legal implications of making a Will and may well die intestate. In fact, the survey – conducted by Saga.co.uk – found that only 23 per cent of Britons had arranged their Wills, a statistic which, even referring to people in their 50s only rises to 26 per cent and 41 per cent when referring to people in their 60s. This means that less than half of those of (or near to being of) pensionable age have made Wills.

Act now

It is easy to delay difficult conversations, a fact compounded by the thought of offending or upsetting a family member, but every day that you put off the conversation will make it harder to resolve the issue. Avoiding talking about certain subjects can lead to frustration and to your blurting it out in a potentially hurtful manner.

Prepare and listen

Make a list of all of the things that you want to talk about before you begin and remember that a conversation is a two-way street and that listening is important.

Picking an appropriate time and place to bring up the subject will help to keep everybody in a happy state of mind and will ultimately make a happy resolution easier. Listen to them and try to understand how they are feeling.

Photo credit: DanLacher

Tags: difficult conversations, wills

Category: Health