Interesting Facts

According to a study commissioned by Nurofen express, the biggest headache of modern life is a laptop / computer freezing. (The top 50 things that stress people out in the UK nowadays are supposedly:- 1. Your laptop/computer freezing 2. PPI calls 3. Slow Wi-Fi 4. Being stuck in traffic 5. People who take up two parking spaces 6. Public transport delays 7. Junk mail 8. Waiting on the phone for the doctors 9. When people chuck their rubbish out of the car window 10. People who don't use their indicators 11. Pot holes 12. Stepping in dog muck 13. When you hold the door open for someone and they don't say thank you 14. The rising cost of living 15. When people let their children misbehave in restaurants 16. Rude sales assistants 17. Screaming kids 18. Buying property 19. When people hold a conversation in a door way 20. People cancelling on you 21. Noisy neighbours 22. Reality TV shows 23. Road works 24. Middle lane hoggers ...

Researchers from Cambridge University have developed a saliva test that can indicate the risk of depression in teenage boys. (Most mental health disorders start before age 24 and about one in six people will suffer from clinical depression, in the UK 10 million people will suffer at some point in their lives. The research found that teenage boys who felt down and had high levels of the "stress hormone" cortisol were 14 times more likely to go on to suffer clinical depression than boys who didn't . The test was tried on teenage boys and girls, but found to be most effective with boys.) Source

According to figures released under the Freedom of Information act, police officers in the UK took 250,000 days of sick leave due to stress-related illness in 2013. (12 forces also saw rises in stress-related sick days of more than 50%. The reason given is cuts in police numbers, and Police Federation chairman Steve Williams said: “It is inevitable that the pressure to do more and more with fewer resources will impact on some officers’ health and well-being." I would think it's enough that it's a very stressful job.)

According to a study by food firm Tilda, just over half of adults in the UK have suffered increased levels of stress and anxiety in the past year. (As they struggle to find that elusive work-life balance, the average person now gets six and a half hours sleep a day and spends less than 20 minutes preparing weekday meals.  One in the eye for Jamie Oliver.)

Scientists from Heptares Therapeutics in Hertfordshire, are claiming to have identified the brain's 'misery molecule', which they have linked to stress and anxiety. (The protein - named CRF1, not the misery molecule, could also be linked to depression, and there are hopes that this discovery will lead to new drugs able to block this and control stress, anxiety and depression. I only have one problem with that. What if we have every reason to be stressed, anxious and depressed?)

According to a report called The Great British Bedtime Report, people in the UK aren't getting enough sleep. (Yes, the report commissioned by the Sleep Council to mark National Bed Month, a third of the population of the UK (33%) now get by on 5 to 6 hours’ sleep a night, compared to 27% in 2010, and the majority of people (70%) sleep for 7 hours or less, with the average Briton going to bed at 11:15 pm and getting 6 hours and 35 minutes sleep per night. Research suggests 7 and a half hours is the optimum level for good health. Almost half of Britons say that stress or worry keeps them awake at night, but unsurprisingly high earners (£65-£75,000) get the best sleep of all. Now, I'm not particularly stressed or worried, but I am posting this at 5:30 in the morning.)

According to researchers at the University of Surrey, lack of sleep can have a potentially profound effect on the internal workings of the human body. (Heart disease, diabetes, obesity and poor brain function have all been linked to substandard sleep, and areas such as the immune system and how the human body responds to damage and stress were affected. I think I'll go back to bed.) Source

A piece of music called Weightless, by Marconi Union is meant to be the most relaxing music ever written. (It's meant to be so relaxing that you're not supposed to drive whilst listening to it. It's meant to be more relaxing than a massage, a walk or a cup of tea. Seemingly the band worked with sound therapists on how to make the most effective use of harmonies, rhythms and bass lines, and according to a study commissioned by bubble bath and shower gel firm Radox Spa, listening to it results in a slowing of the heart rate, reduced blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It sounds perfect for the post Christmas / New Year period, or maybe I should have listened to it before Christmas. You can listen to it on Soundcloud . But if you suffer from low blood pressure, maybe you shouldn't.)

According to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, bad managers are the biggest cause of stress at work. (This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has a bad manager, the stress of not punching their lights out is very high. What may surprise company owners and members of the board, who are ultimately responsible for bad management, is that these bad managers can cost the UK economy around £28bn because of work related mental illness. The report recommends giving people positive feedback, flexible working hours, and extra time off as a reward. In other words, treat your employees like human beings, not automatons.)

According to a study in the European Heart Journal, a stressful job has a direct biological impact on the body, raising the risk of heart disease. (Those who felt stressed not only had less time to exercise and eat well, they also showed signs of important biochemical changes. So, time to start practising those relaxation techniques.)