Women are left feeling frazzled as they endeavour to juggle multiple daily roles, according to new research.
While females were found to be the greatest multi-taskers, taking on an average of 6.2 roles each day compared to 4.7 roles for men, they appear to be paying the price. A staggering 97 per cent confessed to feeling stressed out with one in ten "so stressed out they can't remember what it feels like to be calm or content", the survey found.
The types of duties undertaken did nothing to break the traditional view of gender stereotypes. While 'friend' came out as the most popular role for both sexes, women ranked cook and housekeeper in their top three duties in contrast to driver and handyman for men.
Although 87 per cent of women saw making regular time for themselves as a priority, less than half felt they actually achieved this with 79 per cent putting the running of the household first. As a result, a third of women succumbed to quick-fix comforts in the form of drinking wine and overeating.
The research from tea maker, Twinings, found that those who did find the time to relax each day saw positive results, with 78 per cent of those regularly indulging in 'me' time, feeling happy and 64 per cent feeling confident.
Chartered Psychologist, Nancy Beesley, recommends taking ten minutes out each day to fight the stress of juggling multiple roles. She told The Huffington Post:
"Just a simple ten-minute break allows our bodies to recover, reduce the stress hormones and let our bodies and minds return to equilibrium. Stress actually is not always the issue, more the way we deal with it.
"We can take on a high level of stress as long as we look after ourselves by switching the intensity of our activities. Taking time to exercise, reflect, get back to ourselves, or plan ahead makes us better able to take on the next challenge."
She suggests by putting our own needs first we can also help those around us in the long-term: "Think of the time you have been in an airplane where the emergency procedure instructs you to place an oxygen mask over you own face before trying to help another person - this should be a metaphor for your own life. If you look after yourself you are better able to attend to the needs of others and achieve your goals."