September voted least stressful month of the year

Summer might almost be over but research from pensions and protection provider Friends Life has found that September is the least stressful month of the year.

From the 2000 people who were surveyed less than 1% voted for September when asked which month they believe is the most stressful.

With the pressures of a new year and the fun of the festive season coming to an end, January came out on top as the most stressful month. However, it also seems that while temperatures drop, stress levels rise as December and February followed closely behind. Money was the number one cause of stress (36%) while almost 1 in 5 people chose work worries.

When it comes to the seasons, spring was voted as causing the lowest stress levels, closely followed by autumn. Winter was clearly the most stress-inducing though with almost two thirds of people opting for it.

Previous research carried out by Friends Life last year revealed that one in six (16%) of UK employees, almost 5 million workers, had called in sick due to stress in the previous 12 months, costing employers over £460m³ in wasted wages per day.

Young people were more likely to feel the pressure, with almost a quarter (24%) of 18-24 year olds calling in sick due to stress.

David Williams, Director of Group Protection at Friends Life, said: “The seasons can affect staff mood levels quite considerably, and it is important that employers are aware of this. While January often brings a post-festive season lull, if staff are relaxed when it comes to September it could be a good time to introduce positive changes to the workplace or launch a new project.”

“Christmas clearly affects a lot people’s anxiety levels,” added David Williams. “Finding money for presents and working out which relatives to see can all add up. Employers need to be tuned in to the turn of mood and if possible look at reducing the workload to improve well-being.

“It’s difficult to know exactly why September is viewed as the least stressful month but perhaps we are more relaxed after some good summer weather, a holiday and knowing the children are going back to school.”