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Middlesbrough wins award

Middlesbrough residents most anxious in country, says survey
Naomi Corrigan, Evening Gazette Jul 28 2012
WHETHER it’s high unemployment, a struggling football team or a summer washout - the list of things to worry about these days can go on and on.
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And it seems like the strain of modern life is taking its toll among stressed-out people in Middlesbrough.
The town’s residents have emerged as most anxious in the country, according to a major new survey on happiness and wellbeing.
The Office for National Statistics was asked by Prime Minister David Cameron to find out how happy people are in each area of the UK.
Those taking part were asked to score, out of 10, how they felt in terms of life satisfaction and how happy and anxious they felt yesterday.
More than 165,000 people were surveyed across the country between April 2011 and March 2012 for the Integrated Household Survey.
Those in Middlesbrough were found to be the most anxious.

Psychological therapist Lesley Broadhead, who runs Inner Potential in Stockton, said she was not overly surprised by the results.
“Middlesbrough has taken a lot of stick and many people, particularly in industry, have lost their jobs,” she said.
“The North-east has been hit hard by the recession. Down south their industry hasn’t been hit as hard as here. People in London have things like the Olympics. Going on distractions, I don’t think we have the same opportunities in the North-east which is quite sad.
“When someone loses their job their self-esteem plummets and, if you can’t pay the bills, of course they are going to be anxious.”

The survey suggests that a simple rural lifestyle is associated with high levels of wellbeing. Eilean Siar, Orkney and Shetland came out on top when people there were asked how happy they were yesterday and how worthwhile they considered their life.
These findings would be backed up by a report by the Earth Institute of Columbia University, which concluded that rich countries awash with wealth have a lot to learn from places like Bhutan where strong social networks, health and political freedom is most valued.
The tiny, remote and impoverished kingdom nestling in the Himalayas is admired not for its gross domestic product but for its gross national happiness index.
Lesley said a lot of people’s unhappiness comes from simply having the wrong kind of aspirations. “I think a lot of people equate wealth with happiness and in many cases expectations are too high,” she said. “That’s not to say people shouldn’t have goals but I think that unfortunately the world we live in is very much focused on material wealth and people are searching for that.
“Some people say ‘But if I just won the lottery I would be happy’ but that’s not necessarily true. Studies show that within a year the winners’ anxiety levels are back at the same level.
“Someone might say ‘I would be happy if I had a red Ferrari’ but if you ask what a red Ferrari would give them - they would say ‘I would be valued and respected’ so what they are really seeking is not the car, but those feelings of respect and value.”
Lesley said people can use strategies to cope with anxiety, including “living for the now”.

She said: “Most people are worrying about the future. Stop and think, I will worry about that later and stay focused on the right here, right now.”
Editor of Boro fanzine Fly Me To The Moon, Rob Nichols said: “Pretty much everyone who goes to the matches at the Riverside is on the edge of their seats biting their finger nails. Supporting Middlesbrough all our lives means we know a fair bit about anxiety.
“I am a positive fan but sometimes you are left feeling anxious. We are always up and down. We will win a match but you are never on a high for too long because then you start worrying about the next one!”

Read More http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... 1492908/2/