Stressful mornings for Britain’s mums

With the back-to-school season fast approaching, ‘morning sickness’ may take on a new meaning for stressed mums across Britain.

The Actimel A.M. Poll today revealed findings that indicated Britain’s most likely stressed person in the mornings to be a mother of three kids, who is between the ages of 35 and 44, living in East Anglia.

The poll of more than 3000 respondents found that two thirds of women (68%) felt that they were not at their best in the morning, with more than half (56%) saying that they found it to be the most stressful time of day. With children at home from school during the summer break, mums already feeling stressed in the morning will be even busier juggling activities with children during this time, as well as readying them for the new school year.

When compared with men, women felt more sluggish in the morning and adults between 35 and 44 were shown to be the age group most at odds with the morning, with 57% finding this time of day to be most stressful.

“It was clear from the poll that mornings are not an easy time for mums. They’re busy making breakfast, preparing lunches and readying children for school. The poll found that women felt sluggish because they were overworked and nearly half said they didn’t get enough sleep, so it is no surprise that women take over a minute and a half longer than men to get out of bed in the mornings from when they first wake up,” said leading nutritionist and mum, Angela Dowden.

Those living in East Anglia are at their worst in the mornings (71%) with nearly two thirds (61%) saying that they found it to be the most stressful time of the day. Residents in East Anglia also felt the most sluggish in the mornings when compared with the rest of the UK.

The Actimel A.M. Poll also found that three might not be the magic number when it comes to having a peaceful family life, as those with three children find the mornings to be the most stressful part of the day (55%) more so than those with four children (49%).

Dowden added, “Stress can lead to a weakened immune system, so what can women do to help them feel better in the mornings, especially with children home over the summer holiday? First of all, take the time to eat a healthy, balanced breakfast each and every day. The research also found that a shocking four in ten women do not have breakfast on a daily basis, which will not help reduce stress levels and feeling hungry can lead to irritability.

“We also discovered that more than a third of mums would do some exercise if they had more time in the mornings. Mums can take advantage of the last few weeks of summer holiday and involve children in a morning activity like playing in the park so they’re getting their exercise at the same time. This will help reduce stress levels, as exercise increases serotonin levels in the body and makes you feel good about yourself.”

Happily for all those stressed mums out there, the survey also points to an improvement in morning attitudes with age. Those over 55 were shown to be happy early risers, with half saying they were at their best in the mornings.

Other findings from the Actimel A.M. Poll included:

- Over two thirds (67%) of construction workers and property developers said they were at their best in the morning, with 85% of marketing, advertising and PR executives saying they were at their worst, and those working in the retail sector coming a close second (83%).

- Almost all those questioned (91%) said that winter was by far the hardest season in which to wake up.