More people 'opt out of rat race'

Stress levels are at breaking point

A growing number of people are leaving well-paid jobs and moving home to relieve stress, according to research published on Wednesday.

Twelve million Europeans, mostly in well-paid, high-stress jobs and with young children, are downshifting - taking a cut in salary or working fewer hours.

Another two million, mostly well-educated and in their thirties or forties, have given up the rat race completely.

And the rest, kept on the career ladder by fear, are looking to relieve stress by increasingly choosing products that are easy to use and to find, according to market analysts Datamonitor.

Every day 1,600 advertisements bombard Britons, the study says.

Too many demands on time, too much information and even too many choices leave many feeling burned out at the end of a day

Datamonitor's Dominik Nosalik

This, combined with exposure to the internet, e-mails and mobile telephones and the "fragmentation" of the extended family, has pushed stress levels to breaking point.

And a greater awareness of the risk of terrorist attacks has made people focus on what really matters to them.

"Many people in full-time jobs are increasingly looking to simplify their lives as they suffer from the mounting number of things they have to deal with daily," Datamonitor's Dominik Nosalik says.

"Too many demands on time, too much information and even too many choices leave many feeling burned out at the end of a day.

"This is leading some to reassess what really matters to them - is it to earn more and spend more or focus on family, relationships and other human and family values?"