STRESS O’CLOCK: The nation’s most stressful time revealed

You’ve had your morning coffee (or two!), caught up on the main news of the day and even had your first meeting… and then it hits you – the most stressful moment of your week.

According to a new report, 11:14am on a Monday has been revealed as the time of the week the nation is most stressed.

Two thirds (60%) of people claim they are feeling generally stressed as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, with the top anxiety-triggers including the thought of socialising in large groups (28%), heading back to the office (22%) and even intimacy issues with a partner (13%) following a year of pandemic pressures on relationships.

One of the main factors in driving anxiety and worry across the country has been the pressure to ‘return to normal’ quicker than people are comfortable with (29%).

According to the research by nutritional supplement company, FutureYou Cambridge, a third of people said that the pressure to ‘return to normal’ has been coming from work, however for people aged between 35 – 44 that is likely to be over 10% higher. While for over 65s the pressure to return to normal is most likely coming from their families.

When it comes to coping mechanisms, Brits have been turning to exercise (35%), eating healthier (22%) and spending time with friends and family where possible (22%). Not everyone has gone down this route though, with 16% of people admitting to using alcohol to deal with their problems.

Despite these varied attempts to alleviate stress, only 1 in 10 people used a health supplement to help ease their anxiety, 7% have turned to a medical professional and just 6% have reached out to a counselling service.

Aidan Goggins, Pharmacist, Nutritionist and member of FutureYou Cambridge advisory board says we should be looking after our stress levels more:

“Stress is an inescapable reality of everyday life. However, the increased and persistent levels that the pandemic has brought about not only affects how we feel but greatly contributes to our risk of physical and mental health.”

While Monday is the most stressful day across all regions, the specific time does vary depending on where you look across the UK. For instance, people in the West Midlands and North West are more likely to feel their most stressed earlier on a Monday than the national average – 9:12am and 10:16am respectively. People in the North East can hold off their feelings of stress for the longest on a Monday, not hitting their peak until 12:15pm.

Dr Miriam Ferrer, PhD and Head of Product Development at FutureYou Cambridge says we shouldn’t be ashamed of seeking help to deal with stress.

“Feelings of stress and anxiety come and go and are a part of day to day life, but for some it can be much more severe and it’s important that if this is the case, people know where to get help such as helplines, charities or counselling services.

“It’s very interesting to learn from this study, that while only 1 in 10 had used a supplement to help their stress levels, two thirds of people would be open to the idea.

“This indicates that there is a general lack of awareness around using science-backed supplements such as Ashwagandha+.  Ashwagandha has been shown to contribute to emotional balance and general wellbeing.”