London's 'most stressed' borough revealed in study of social media posts

The study found central London had the lion's share of the capital's stress and anxiety
Victoria Jones/PA
James Morris9 October 2018

Westminster is the most stressed borough in the capital, according to a new analysis of Londoners’ social media posts.

The eight-month study tracked 24,000 mentions of the words “stress”, "stressed", “anxiety" and "anxious" in status updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

It found over half of these – 12,808 – were posted in Westminster.

The research was carried out by booking website Spa Seekers. A spokesman said of the results: “The central borough is the workplace for many government workers, which may have been a prime contributor to the higher levels of stress recorded in the area."

Top 10 'most stressed' London boroughs  

By borough and mentions of stress and anxiety  

1) Westminster: 12,808

2) Hackney: 874

3) Camden: 868

4) Lambeth: 804

5) Kensington and Chelsea: 796

6) Southwark: 553

7) City of London: 540

8) Tower Hamlets: 515

9) Hillingdon​: 462

10) Hammersmith and Fulham: 43

The company said the “trendy” boroughs of Hackney and Camden had the second and third highest mentions of stress and anxiety, though at 874 and 868, they were much lower than Westminster.

Barking and Dagenham came out as the least stressed borough: a mere 34 mentions put it in 33rd place.

A heat map of London's 'most stressed' boroughs
Spa Seekers

According to government figures, 526,000 UK workers suffered a form of work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in 2016/2017.

It led to 12.5 million business working days being lost.

Advice for employees to ease workplace stress includes:

  • Avoiding chaotic mornings: getting a good night's sleep, having a nutritional breakfast.
  • Managing expectations: having a clear understanding of your tasks for the day.
  • Being comfortable: find a quieter environment if your current space is disruptive, taking advantage of flexible working by seeking to work from home.
  • Taking a walk: take a minimum 30 minutes away from the office and enjoy fresh air.

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