Stress: can you escape from it

Is�stress the plague of the 21st century Is it the result of our greedy, consumer-driven society pushing us to strive for more of everything

We�in�Britain work�the longest hours in Europe, an average of 45.5 hours a week.�With so little time to relax, it's no wonder the nation's stress levels are rising. Many companies are bringing in stress management experts in the hope of cutting the side effects of stress: absenteeism and a high staff turnover, but perhaps they're addressing the symptons rather than the cause.

Surely, it's better to let your staff work shorter, more productive hours giving them a chance to have a life outside the office, than it is to tell them what they already know - they're stressed

It's not just work, however. Housewives are three times more likely to have heart attacks than women who work outside the home.

Stress affects everyone. It accounts for a third of all visits to GPs and each year, 270,000 of us take time off�work because of it, costing the economy �6.4 billion.

A whole industry has built up�to serve the stressed. Stress relieving�balls, pampering holidays and�dietary supplements are just some of the products�that claim to�make life that little bit easier.�

We've even had a 'stress awareness day.'��

We all need�to be under pressure to a degree: in manageable ammounts it adds a positive edge to life. Sceptics even argue that most of us don't actually suffer from stress. They claim that stress problems only exist for people such as nurses and firefighters who are being stretched to their�limits. So, are the rest of us using�stress as a get out claus for our own anxieties

If more and more of us are being put under stress, what is the best way to alleviate it Perhaps moving to the Outer Hebrides is the only answer - or is everyone there stressed out too Have you found a solution Please let us know.