The stress and tension of modern living takes its toll.
Slow Wi-Fi, PPI calls and a laptop or computer freezing have been named as part of a consumer survey as the top three biggest "headaches" of modern life, it emerged.1
Researchers polled 2,000 UK adults on aspects of 21st century living that regularly leave them feeling stressed and found that an endless barrage of junk mail, being kept on hold for appointments and public transport delays make up the top ten biggest causes of headaches in our modern lives.
The study, conducted by Nurofen, highlights that stress can sometimes take a physical toll too - with just under a third of those surveyed becoming ill as a result of a bout of unease or sustained period of tension.
In fact, the problem is bigger than it first appears, with one in five, of those surveyed experiencing stress-related tension every single day. Regular headaches, constant fatigue and an inability to sleep were reported as some of the most common side effects of stress. One in five have even come close to quitting their job.
Despite technology being designed to make our lives easier, 55 per cent of those surveyed feel that life is more stressful now than it was ten years ago.1 It seems the things that are supposed to be solutions, or speed our life up, can prove an inconvenience and a great source of frustration. It's interesting to note that the biggest factors in the rise of our stress levels include increased living costs, heightened pressure at work and pressures from society.
Often these annoyances are out of our hands but the signs of stress and tension they can cause in us can build and sometimes have an impact on our health. It's important to try and manage our stress levels and be aware of the sources of our stress/tension level.
More unusual irritations which made the top 20 biggest annoyances included pot holes, misbehaving kids and people taking up two parking spaces.
Some other interesting irritations made the top 50, such as failing to find the start of sellotape and drivers hogging the middle lane. Commuters cited people who start boarding the train before everyone has disembarked as a real ‘headache’, with Facebookers claiming mothers constantly uploading pictures of their children as a significant source of irritation.
However, the real source of tension-type headaches is not what you may think it is, it is actually the muscles in the head and neck when they get strained. For more information on the real source of headaches, click here.
For the full list of the top 50 biggest headaches of today, see below.
THE 50 BIGGEST "HEADACHES" OF MODERN LIFE:
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
25. Your delivery gets lost in the post
26. Computer jargon
27. Forgetting your password
28. Council tax
29. People talking overly loud on public transport
30. People who cycle on pavements
31. Finding the start of the sellotape
32. When people start boarding the train before everyone has gotten off
33. Slow walkers
34. People talking in the cinema
35. Train fares
36. Ordering something online and it is damaged
37. Queuing for the self-service checkout
38. People chewing gum with their mouth open
39. Being charged for extra luggage at the airport
40. Mums on Facebook who constantly upload pictures of their kid
41. Getting stuck behind a tractor
42. Cyclists on the road
43. Paying your bills
44. Speed cameras
45. Motorcyclists weaving in and out of the traffic
46. Not having enough change for the car park
47. Twitter trolls
48. Your partner snoring
49. Loud music
50. People asking questions when your programme is on
1. One Poll survey of 2,000 U K adults. September 2014.
Nurofen Express Liquid Capsules. Contains 200mg ibuprofen. Always read the label. UK/N/0415/0031