A recent study with 2,000 Brits by life insurance broker, Reassured has revealed that over a third of us (37%) have found life more stressful post-pandemic than we did during the strict Covid-19 lockdowns.
Over a quarter (26%) put their stress levels at a worryingly high eight out of ten, and parents and grandparents have been struggling the most.
Almost half (45%) of parents and grandparents stated that they have felt under a lot of strain since lockdowns ended, with one in ten claiming to be “immensely stressed” (10/10).
According to the research findings, the UK’s most stressed out city is Edinburgh, with a third (32.4%) of residents putting their anxiety and worry levels at 8 or higher.
The UK’s most stressed out cities are:
- Edinburgh (32.4%)
- Cardiff (31.3%)
- Leeds (31%)
- Bristol (29.3%)
- Birmingham (28.5%)
- Belfast (27.9%)
- Southampton (27.4%)
- Manchester (27.1%)
- London (25.2%)
- Glasgow (22.9%)
The pandemic continues to be something of a burden on the nation, with uncertainty around Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns coming out as the primary cause for concern (24%), followed by being expected “get back to normal” even though many don’t yet feel ready to do so (21%).
The UK’s top ten stress factors right now:
- Not knowing what the future will bring (in terms of further Covid-19 lockdowns) – 24%
- Being expected to get back to normal life and not feeling ready – 21%
- Trying to fit everything in – 21%
- Financial situation – 18.4%
- Health related worries/issues (personally) – 18%
- The news in general – 16%
- Family in general – 15%
- Health related worries/issues (family or friends) – 14.5%
- Leaving home in general – 14%
- Travelling via public transport – 12%
As may be expected, over 60s are most likely to be worried about their physical health which can in turn lead to poor mental health.
According to Mind, high levels of stress are often caused by things that happen in our personal and work lives such as when we are feeling under lots of pressure, are facing big changes, have specific worries on our mind, feel like we don’t have control over the outcome of a situation, are overwhelmed by responsibility or we’re lacking work or activities during times of uncertainty.
Charlie Inman from the digital happiness coach app, Mindshine offered his five top tips on combating high levels of stress.
- One of the best ways of avoiding stress is simply planning your life better so that you use your time more efficiently. Stop multitasking (the evidence shows we are rubbish at it) and plan your day thinking about how much time you actually have, rather than what you’d like to get done. Break your tasks up into micro goals to get them done.
- In order to switch ourselves out of stress mode we need to learn to activate the vagus nerve (the longest cranial nerve, which runs from your brain right down past our heart and lungs and into your gut) and engage our parasympathetic nervous systems. Luckily this can be achieved by practicing all sorts of things like breathing exercises, mindfulness exercises and progressive muscle relaxation, and best of all, it’s free.
- How stressed we get about things depend to a great extent on how we view stress itself. When we see stress as scary and harmful, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and we disappear down the rabbit hole. If we can learn to actually embrace the concept of stress as something normal, temporary, and entirely expected, we become more resilient and ultimately happier.
- When you’re feeling stressed out by something, it can really help to look back at the times when you dealt with difficulties and remind yourself that you can get through it. You have done it before, and you’ll do it again.
- We know, we know, you’ve heard it a million times before, but that’s because it’s true. Eating the right sort of food and moving your body (doesn’t have to be running 10K, you can go for a nice walk, or have a dance around the living room) is scientifically proven to reduce stress. Just do it.
Steve Marshall, CEO for Reassured added: “It appears that many across the UK are still dealing with high levels of stress. According to our data, the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic is still a major cause for concern and a large portion of respondents say they have felt pressured to get back to normal when, in fact, they weren’t ready to do so. In times of uncertainty like the ones we’re living in, some people may be seeking some additional reassurance. Life insurance for new parents and those aged over 60 in particular, can provide some peace of mind”
