The holiday season is here, and while we’re decking the halls and dreaming of pavlova, many Aussies are quietly drowning in their to-do lists. According to a new Microsoft AI Holiday Hacks Report, Australians collectively rack up an eye-watering 540 million hours on festive tasks. That’s nearly a billion episodes of your favourite TV show!
From travel bookings to picking the perfect present, we spend an average of 27 hours each prepping for the season. It’s enough to make Santa’s elves look lazy. And here’s the kicker: over three-quarters of us (77%) admit that the holidays are downright stressful.
Santa’s naughty list of holiday stress
Top of the naughty list? Choosing the right gifts and staying on budget, each stressing out 36% of us. Then there’s the chaotic trio of shopping for food, decorations, or presents (33%). And, while some Aussies claim to plan ahead, fewer than half (45%) actually do.
For those who procrastinate, Christmas Eve shopping is the ultimate nightmare. Microsoft found that 58% of Aussies would rather face almost anything else, like plunging into an ice bath, enduring the agony of IKEA furniture assembly, or – brace yourselves – listening to Uncle Darren’s lecture on cryptocurrency during Christmas lunch.
From holidays to ham plans: How to use AI to save time – and your sanity!
But here’s a sleigh-load of good news: technology might just be the hero of the season. Microsoft’s research reveals that nearly half of Aussies (47%) are open to letting AI take the reins on holiday tasks.
Imagine this:
- Gift ideas magically curated by AI? Yes, please.
- Hassle-free meal planning? Done.
- Tailored travel itineraries? Ho, ho, ho!
With Microsoft’s Copilot AI, you can save time (and sanity) by outsourcing the little stuff. From crafting unique holiday recipes to organising dinner parties with military precision, Copilot promises to be the ultimate festive assistant.
“Think of it as your personal elf,” says Dan Johnson, Windows Category Lead for ANZ at Microsoft. “We want to help Aussies reclaim their time and focus on what really matters.”
What would you do with some extra hours
If AI could gift you a few extra hours, how would you spend them? According to the report, 37% of Australians would dedicate that precious time to quality family moments, while another 37% would unapologetically catch up on sleep.
The youngest among us, Gen Z, know the value of recharging, with over half (53%) saying they’d use extra time to rest. Meanwhile, others (39%) would prioritise catching up with mates or indulging in hobbies. For those using AI to save time, the season of giving might just turn into the season of living!
Gifting made smarter
When it comes to presents, we’re not exactly brimming with confidence. A whopping 72% of Aussies struggle to pick the perfect gift for at least one person on their list. Women, men, partners, in-laws – nobody is easy to shop for.
Men are particularly perplexed, with nearly half (45%) admitting they find women’s gifts impossible to pick. Women, on the other hand, find men’s gifts equally confounding (31%). Maybe the solution is simple: just gift them a Microsoft Copilot+ PC and call it a day.
Deck the halls, skip the stress!
Stress doesn’t have to be a guest at your holiday celebrations. Nearly a third of Australians (31%) tackle the season with a “she’ll be right” mindset, while others rely on clever hacks like online shopping, meal prep, or delegating tasks to family.
For the truly tech-savvy, AI might be the key to a calmer Christmas. Whether it’s helping manage the budget, keeping the menu organised, or finding unique recipes that wow your guests, AI tools like Copilot are turning “chaos-mas” into “calm-mas.”
A Merry, tech-savvy, Christmas
So, this holiday season, why not let AI sprinkle some extra magic? With tools like Microsoft Copilot, Australians are reclaiming their time, minimising stress, and focusing on what matters most – whether it’s family, fun, or finally finishing that book you started back in January.
And, if you’re really stuck on what to gift your loved ones this year? Maybe a little AI-powered tech under the tree is exactly what they need. After all, nothing says “Merry Christmas” quite like more sleep and fewer meltdowns.
