What's stressing you out?
As National Stress Awareness Day (NSAD) on November 7th draws attention to the UK’s stress levels, a report released today by Kalms reveals what the nation deem as the underlying causes and the everyday episodes that result from their stress.
The Kalms report concludes that while finding solace in escapist fiction or switching on the TV may be harmless, many are seeking comfort in pursuits that are likely to exacerbate their stress or anxiety rather than help them take control of it. Tension between couples could also be caused by the differing issues men and women are stressed out about.
The research of 2,000 men and women from across the UK and Ireland revealed that over two thirds said that they have suffered from stress, anxiety or both in the last month and found that the average Brit experiences 208 stressful situations a year. So what are we all stressing about?
Economic pressures and paying bills ranked highest on the stress list with over a third of the population worried about managing bills and finances while time pressure is a major cause of stress for almost 30% of people surveyed.
The report found that stress affects women more often than men, with 25% agreeing that they experience a stressful situation more than eight times a week compared to only 16% of males.
Neil Shah, Director of the Stress Management Society said: “When we look at the gender split, we can see that men and women are stressed about different things. While women worry are more worried about managing bills and finances and juggling their time to fit everything in to their day, men are more concerned about working long hours and worrying about debt. Consequently, the fact that they are worrying about different things could also be a source of tension within relations.
“The research indicates that women between the ages of 25-34 appear to be the most stressed and this could be due to the ideal for this age group struggling to fit more and more into their lives. Juggling a career, personal finance, relationships, family and home life can not only contribute to stress but can make it difficult to find time to deal with the causes. Find ways to relax and regain control – exercise and a healthy diet can help to manage these periods of elevated stress and anxiety. “Many people are turning to herbal stress remedies as they can have a positive effect on calming the body and the mind, making it easier to deal with the cause of stress. It is also important to bear in mind that men and women have very different strategies to cope with stress,” he says.
In the battle of the sexes it is becoming more a battle of the bulge when it comes to the impact of stress with over 40% of women turning to comfort food to combat stress vs 25% of men. A third of females also admitted to reading escapism fiction as a means of tuning out
Wendy Poole, Kalms spokesperson commented; “People are living fast paced, busy lives now more than ever. We’ve seen an increase in demand for Kalms products, which suggests that many people are looking for longer term solutions as well quick fixes.”
Women are also more likely to fall out with loved ones when they are stressed while men are more likely to turn to alcohol for solace. Ten per cent more women are likely to lose sleep than men when stressed. Shah says: “Try to avoid stimulants such as technology or alcohol, particularly close to bedtime, as a good night’s sleep can really help reduce symptoms of stress – ensure you have a good wind down routine in the run up to bedtime.”