14 DAY TRIAL // Even though we might not be fully aware of it, the time we spend worrying each day is not to be disregarded, especially given that it leads to nothing positive and concrete. In the UK alone, for instance, a recent poll has showed that people worry, on average, about two hours a day. That’s half an hour more than they did a few weeks ago, explainable by “the credit crunch.”
The poll, undertaken thanks to a newly founded forum, ReallyWorried, meant to help people share their problems and seek advice, clearly shows that Britons now worry for about two hours and 15 minutes each day. With some quick math, this translates into six years and six months of our life spent fretting over more or less important issues, with some difference between men and women (women worry more).
The researchers who made the poll found out that, for the year that is about to end, British folks worried mostly about the cost of living and energy prices, followed by “income debt, recession, unemployment, crime, pensions and relationships, [and] ID fraud, immigration, ageing, children's future, obesity, global warming, house prices and weather.” a Daily Mail piece informs. Moreover, all this fretting has not failed to leave a mark on people’s health and relationships.
“The research shows that most people in Britain are really worried - whether it’s about something monumental like facing home repossession or something relatively simple to sort out such as changing energy suppliers.” Richard Rubin, founder of the forum that made the poll possible, said. Philip Hodson, a Fellow of the British Association of Counselling, added that, “It is alarming to learn from this research just how many people in Britain are chronic worriers. Worry is the central component of all anxiety disorders and most depression.”
As for the places where Britons are most prone to fall victims to stress and worries, the poll determined that the favorites are the bed, the commute to work, the shower and the toilet.