Britons spend more time planning their next holiday, haircut and shopping excursions than they do making preparations for their financial future, according to new research.

The new Scottish Widows study examines the long-term worries of the nation and reveals that we're trapped in a vicious circle of our own making, as the things we worry about most are also the things that we tend to put off planning.

A nation of procrastinators
The findings reveal that the UK is a nation of procrastinators, with only 5% delaying plans for a weekend food shop, compared to 22% who delay planning for retirement. Nine out of ten people think it is important to have a plan in place for retirement, yet more than one in three (36%) have no plans at all.
Health is the number one worry for over half (57%) of the nation, but is also the area people are most likely to avoid taking action, with 28% of people putting off visiting the doctor or dentist.

An impact on wellbeing
Everyday long-term worries about the future are having an impact on our wellbeing and productivity, with more than one in ten (14%) admitting to spending an hour or more of their working day worrying about and sorting out personal admin related to their finances.

Removing this stress would result in more than one in four (26%) of people doing more exercise, and one in five (20%) spending more time with their partner.

Almost a third (31%) even said they would sleep better, with a just over quarter (26%) of all those surveyed admitting that staying awake worrying about the future means that they are too tired to focus the following day at work.

The research showed 85% of people agree that having a plan in place helps to ease worries and anxieties.

Having enough to live on
When asked how far in advance people start planning their financial future, 39% of people admit to worrying about whether they'll have enough to live on after retirement, but only one in five (20%) worry about whether they should actually be contributing to a pension. Alarmingly, only a quarter (26%) would start planning for retirement 20 years ahead of time.

The top 10 worries were revealed to be:

Top 10 worries Top 10 delayed plans

1) Our own health Going to the doctor or dentist
2) How much money we have to Saving for retirement
spend on an everyday basis Losing weight (Both Tied)
3) The health of our kids Getting a haircut
4) Whether we'll have enough Having a plan in place for our to live on after retirement financial future Getting a new job (Both Tied)
5) The health of our partner and relatives Buying a new house
6) How mch we weigh and losing weight I don't put off planning anything
7) How well our kids are doing at My physical and aesthetical school and their later education appearance
8) Relationship with your partner joint Saving for a holiday and planning
with clearing debts an outfit for an occasion
9) Employment including redundancy Saving for a property and our next job
10) Whether you've locked the Buying gifts for an occasion door to your home or car