What do you do in the “dead zone” week between Christmas and New Year? Survey reveals all

Key takeaways, in brief:

– Americans forget what day it is an average of 4.7 times between Christmas and New Year
– Four in 10 question the day of the week six or more times during the “dead zone” week
– Watching old movies and TV shows is the most common activity, followed by wearing comfy clothes and eating leftover
– Many embrace low effort habits, including daytime naps, minimal work, and relaxed hygiene
– Despite slowing down, 52% feel guilty for not being productive enough
– Gen Z feels the most guilt about relaxing, while Boomers feel it the least

Americans will forget what day it is nearly five times between Dec 25 and Jan 1.

These are the findings of our recent survey of 2,000 Americans, which examined how people spend one of the more unorthodox weeks in the calendar.

Results showed the average person regularly struggles to track time in the last week of December, forgetting the day and losing track of any routine on 4.7 occasions on average.

While four in 10 of those polled estimated they question what day it is in the week between Christmas and New Year on six or more occasions.

Why is it so hard to track what day it is? Probably because many routines are dropped in favor of more leisurely activities.

Nostalgia will be a driving part of the final days of 2025, as the most commonly cited activity people say they do in the “dead zone” week is watching old movies and TV, which half (50%) of those questioned will be indulging in.

A further 48% said they’d be wearing comfy clothes “almost exclusively” in the weird seven days, while a determined one in 10 (9%) said they will only shower if they are seeing visitors that day.

Twenty-three percent will do the absolute bare minimum they can on any work duties and a third (34%) will be embracing daytime naps.

Four in ten (38%) said they’ll be eating leftovers most days in the weird and wonderful last week of 2025, while a creative 21% say the morning routine is thrown out and that they eat things for breakfast they never normally would.

And beware if planning a game of Monopoly or Scrabble in the last week of the year, as 19% of the 2,000 polled said they plan to play board games a little too competitively in the closing days of December.

And while those who are fortunate enough to be able to take a break in this time do so, for many, it won’t be without feeling guilty. More than half of those polled (52%) said they feel guilty for not being productive enough in the week between Christmas and New Year.

Gen Z give themselves the toughest time for relaxing at the end of the year, with 67% saying they often or sometimes feel guilty for not doing enough in this time period.

This sentiment reduced with age, as 58% of millennials, 50% of Gen X and just 28% of Boomers felt the same guilt for being inactive.

TOP ACTIVITIES FOR AMERICANS DEC 25 – 1 JAN 1