IT MIGHT BE difficult to say goodbye to your bed on Monday morning, but Tuesday is actually the most typical time for work-related stress levels to peak, according to recent study of office workers.

Employees say that while the first day back at work after the weekend can be spent gearing up for the week ahead, checking emails, and swapping stories at the water-cooler, reality hits with a bang on Tuesday – at 10am to be precise – when workers try to tackle tasks they have been ignoring.

Many respondents reported feeling overwhelmed by mountain to-do lists, trying to meet deadlines, or straining to complete their boss’ demands, the Telegraph reports.

The study, which involved office workers aged between 18 and 45, was carried out by Michael Page recruitment agency. A spokesperson for the agency said:

“Whether we feel over-worked, are neck deep in paper or just battling a to-do list which seems never-ending, we are all in agreement when we hit our melting point.

“It’s worrying such a large number of us are under so much pressure from bosses and there not being enough hours in the day that we go home and have an alcoholic drink to recover.

“But it is encouraging to see we are taking steps to improve our working lives, with people making it a New Year’s resolution to get out of their current job.”

While over half of respondents said that stress hit the hardest 10am on Tuesday, one in five said that they became hassled before nine o’clock. Four in 10 blamed heavy workloads for stress, while a third said that difficult customers wore them out.

The agency said: “It’s no coincidence that 10am Tuesday is also when traffic to our website peaks.”