How very British! When we need to deal with stress we let off steam… with a cuppa (while the more extreme of us scream into a pillow!)

When all of life’s problems have brought you to a boil, there seems to be a surefire way to let off steam: make yourself a cup of tea.

Because a poll showed that sitting with a hot tea is one of our favorite stress relievers.

Listening to music, curling up in front of the TV or just finding space for some ‘quiet time’ were also favorites – with the most popular method being simply taking a walk.

Some of us chose more extreme forms of de-stressing, including cleaning the house and screaming into a pillow.

The study found that 90 percent of us feel stressed at some point every day, usually for a total of 41 minutes.

As a result, we feel the need to let go 14 times a week, with Monday afternoon being the most likely time for this to happen.

Three quarters of Brits said hot drinks such as tea, coffee and hot chocolate help them relax, with 23 per cent considering English breakfast tea the most calming.

In addition to their soothing properties, 37 percent said drinking hot drinks also breaks up the day, while 37 percent said it gave them a chance to recharge.

In addition to identifying how we de-stress, the study of 2,000 adults also pinpointed some of the biggest causes of our frustrations.

Common catalysts include a heavy workload (40 percent), personal finances (39 percent), and breaking our belongings (32 percent).

Iain Stuart-Crush, brand director for kitchen appliance brand Breville, who commissioned the survey from OnePoll, said: ‘Life can move extremely fast and we often don’t find those everyday moments to focus on ourselves.’

Tina Stallard of The Mindfulness Project said, “We can use the time it takes to boil the kettle to check in with ourselves and refocus our attention on what we need to support our well-being.”