The general consensus is that most jobs have become more demanding, with longer hours, and greater pressures. When pressure builds up, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by work and this can produce feelings of stress. More and more people want to get away from what is called the rat race of the treadmill, the feeling that work is too competitive, and are looking for lifestyles that are less stressful. A whole 'stress industry' has grown up, with its stress counselors and stress therapists giving advice on how to avoid stress and how to lessen its effect. Whatever the truth, people love to talk about the stress of their work. Our living and working conditions may put us under stress. Overcrowding in large cities, traffic jams, competition for jobs, uncertainty about the future, any big change in our lives, may be stressful. If you have moved house or changed jobs in recent months you are more likely to become ill than if you haven't.