Some people seem to thrive on a hectic lifestyle. Others find quite small demands stressful. We are all unique in the way we respond to pressure. Clearly stress is not solely down to what happens to us but also the way we think. Psychologists argue that different personalities react differently to stress. People called type-A personalities – who are more likely to rush, be competitive and be perfectionists – are more prone to stress. Type-B personalities – who are more easy-going – cope better with stress. Stress is a combination of the outside pressures on us – whether at work or home – and our own ways of dealing with them. The 'coping strategies' we develop – such as social support, finding ways to switch off, or just being able to say no – can make all the difference between letting other people's demands get on top of us and riding through the crisis.

• A total 41% of people working full or part-time said their stress levels had increased in the previous 12 months. However, 58% said their stress had not risen, while 1% did not know.
• Male workers were slightly more prone to rising stress than women. A total 42% of men said their stress levels had risen compared with 40% of women.
• Younger people were more likely to say stress levels had gone up. Among 16 to 24-year-olds, 46% said stress had risen. This fell to 41% among 25 to 34-year-olds, 42% of 35 to 44-year-olds, 38% of 45 to 54-year-olds, and 36% of 55 to 64-year-olds.
• Among workers with children, 43% reported increased stress but 40% did not.
• People who were married or co-habiting were slightly less likely than average (at 40%) to report stress levels going up. People who were single were also below average at 38%. But the biggest sufferers of increased stress were widowed, divorced or separated. A total 62% in this group said stress had climbed.

Workload was the biggest bugbear for stress. A small but significant minority (4%) blamed workplace bullying or harassment. People blamed these factors for their stress:

• unrealistic workload (32%)
• long hours (29%)
• poor line management (25%)
• work impacting on family and personal life (23%)
• workplace politics (22%)
• workplace bullying or harassment (4%)

Stress is causing physical illhealth and other problems for many working people. The survey asked which symptoms people had suffered in the last 12 months due to workplace stress. The results were:

• irritability (29%)
• changes in sleep patterns (29%)
• inability to relax (28%)
• changes in eating patterns (18%)
• inability to concentrate (17%)
• anxiety or depression (16%)
• physical illness (8%)
• memory loss (8%)
• substance misuse ie drugs/drinking or smoking too much (5%)

We all react differently under stress and so the initial health effects can vary. Typical symptoms may include:

Most people experience these sorts of problems at stressful times in their lives. Nobody should feel embarrassed or guilty because their body is telling them to slow down or take a break.