Stressed Britons spend 36 minutes every day wallowing in despair, a study has revealed.

The typical adult spends a year and a half of their life worrying, with the high cost of living, feeling out of shape and mounting debt the most common causes for concern.

Researchers discovered getting old, job security and a dire sex life also leave a dark cloud looming over millions of us.

The study also found extreme anxiety has meant many people are distracted at work, enduring sleepless nights and even suffering rifts with their partners.

One in 10 felt restless for more than two hours a day, while one in two worries so much their health has suffered.

'A large chunk of the nation feels considerably worried and people are wasting far too much time stressing about things, ' said a spokesman from the Everyman Campaign, which carried out the study.

'Money is dominating most of people’s thoughts - whether it’s mounting debt, how they’re going to pay their next set of bills or the fact they’ll never become financially secure.

'It's interesting to see how gaining weight is more of a concern than job security, and that petrol prices take priority over people’s sex lives.

'Work apprehensions also feature heavily in the top 50 list - feeling stressed and faced with unmanageable workloads and awkward bosses. '

The study of 2,000 British adults aged between 18 and 65 was carried out to mark the launch of Everyman’s Male Cancer Awareness Month.

It found the average adult spends nine whole days a year worrying - which totals one year and six months during their life.

Four in 10 are stressed about debt, a quarter are concerned that they are 'not living life to the full' and one in five is troubled about family members falling ill.

The survey found three in 10 have become depressed due to their worrying, one in 10 admits it has affected their relationship with their kids and one in 20 has lost friends.

(Read by Lee Hannon. Lee Hannon is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)