From low battery to forgetting codes, minor irritations are piling up

From low battery to forgetting codes, minor irritations are piling upResearch shows stress can be caused by a lot of little things, rather than bigf problemsCommentsNewsNeil Shaw Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)09:43, 17 Apr 2026View ImageStress comes in small packages, research showsHaving just 2% phone battery with no charger in sight has been crowned the ultimate stress trigger for two-fifths of millennials. The anxiety-inducing image of an empty phone battery containing a sliver of red topped the list of small, but stressful mishaps.‌Climbing into bed only to realise the light's still on claimed second place, while forgetting your password completed the top three. Other annoyances include a train delay when you're already late, slow wi-fi at the worst possible moment and irritation at all the food for the week being eaten on the first day.‌Research, by Horlicks found half of people say they're hit by small but stressful mishaps several times a week, with many saying something goes wrong each day. The research comes as Horlicks reclaim the phrase 'Absolute Horlicks', an idiom meaning a mess, to describe everyday moments when things go wrong.‌To 'make a complete Horlicks' of something was an idiom originating from the 80s and 90s meaning to make a mess of something and used in place of more vulgar slang.Forgetting a discount code when they go shopping or their banking app going down rate highly among the most common financial 'Absolute Horlicks' moments. More than half of those surveyed admit small inconveniences now cause disproportionate stress, with many admitting they feel overwhelmed by the accumulation of everyday issues.Article continues belowRebekha White, Senior Brand Manager at Horlicks, said: "It's not always the big things that stress us out. Our research shows it's the constant drip of small frustrations that millennials can reclaim poking fun at their 'Absolute Horlicks' mome...