A British survey finds the most stressed people in the country live in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, the areas southeast of London.

ADVERTISEMENT

But residents of comparatively remote Devon and Cornwall, while they may not be as well off financially, are more relaxed and content, The Independent reports.

Phillip Hodson, a fellow of the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy, has lived in Cornwall for 12 years.

"People are inspired by the scenery, the sea and the light," he told the newspaper. "The air is clean and fresh, crime levels are low and there is an easy-going tolerance to the region."

He said the Southeast is more "money-focused" and people there worry about looking after and losing their money.

YouGov surveyed 2,500 people on how they felt about their jobs, home life and work-life balance. Generally, people in the Southeast reported being unhappy with their jobs and family lives and said they feel stressed.

In the West Midlands, people reported happiness at work and low levels of stress but poor balance between work and home lives. Londoners, who have the highest average incomes in the country, ranked in the mid-range in happiness and stress.