This is the most stressful minute of the day

Updated


6 Ways to Reduce Workplace Stress
6 Ways to Reduce Workplace Stress



If you are in your late 30s and it's early afternoon, there's a good chance you're feeling super stressed.

According to a recent study, 1:42 p.m. is the most stressful minute of the day. Most people reported feeling the highest levels of stress until 4:53 p.m. when end-of-day relief sets in. And at age 38, it seems personal and professional pressures tend to culminate in the highest feelings of stress, on average. Dissatisfaction with career, the pressures of having children and discord at home were the most common reasons cited for this stressful age.

If you're like the majority of the 2,000 Americans recently surveyed by Groupon in July, you don't have enough time to relax. The company, which arguably has a vested interest in workers taking the time to relax (and buy a spa package or fitness class), found that 60 percent of respondents say they have a terrible work-life balance. Forty percent say they work too many hours.

But professional responsibilities don't deserve all the blame for stressed-out Americans. Personal chores and tiredness, along with a heavy workload, were the main reasons respondents said they had difficulty maintaining a balanced life. And when asked to rate how stressed they felt on a scale from 1 to 10, Americans only rated work slightly more stressful (6.4) than home (5).

RELATED: 10 things you should never say at work

This might be because the lines are blurring between work and personal time. Even time away from the office can feel like work. The survey found that while respondents said they took most (but not all) of their vacation days each year, many are not used for relaxation. According to the survey, the average worker takes eleven days, but six of them are spent on personal chores and errands.

So how do people deal with all this pressure? Groupon says it's by going to the beach, gym or spa. Of course, happy hour and Netflix binging may play a greater behind-the-scenes role than respondents likely care to admit.

More from Inc.
How to get your employees excited about voting this year
A proven formula for asking more creative questions
Top 10 leadership assessment questions

Advertisement